


A cosplay a little too much realistic

by sadShadow89



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Battle of Five Armies, Beorn is funny, Cultural Differences, Dwalin Is A Softie, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Female Bilbo, First Time, Forced Marriage, Forced Pregnancy, Fíli and Kíli Are Little Shits, Gold Sickness, Hurt/Comfort, Jealous Thorin Oakenshield, Loss of Virginity, Love/Hate, Modern Girl in Middle Earth, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rape/Non-con Elements, Romance, Rule 63, Saruman is a bad guy, Sexual Content, Slow Build, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Thorin Is an Idiot, bilbo is not the real bilbo, but it ok because they are so young, but it still a marriage of love, everyone think that Bilbo and Dwalin are in love, exchange of souls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2018-07-28 15:57:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 43,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7647382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadShadow89/pseuds/sadShadow89
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During the fight with the trolls Bilbo is deeply wounded in the head, when he wakes up the dwarves discover with surprise and concern that their burglar is no longer the same .... after a car accident Sara finds herself in the middle of a forest and has no idea how she got there .... but basically, Bilbo and Sara have never really belonged to their world, although they do not know this, at least not yet</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Free fall

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, this is my first fanfiction ever, I have never written anything more longer than a poem in my life so be kind in the comments (as long as my work is worthy of comment of course ^ _ ^, I I'm not entirely sure that it is). I am not native English speakers, and this work has not beta reader so I apologize in advance for any errors (or horrors) of grammar that you will find, if someone wants to help me with the corrections I would be extremely happy. the AU is a mixture between the book and the movie, I like both and I have not had the heart to prefer one to the other, I'm sorry if this will cause confusion. I sincerely hope that you enjoy reading.

"Wait" squeal Bilbo as he scrambled up fighting against the fabric of the bag, it's dangerously threatening to steal what little balance that he had managed to acquire in getting up, and cautiously approached the bonfire where the three trolls were roasting the dwarves. It was pure instinct action, quite little "hobbitish", he did not know exactly what he wanted to do but he knew he had to take time. If they could hold out until dawn, perhaps the trolls would have turned to stone or perhaps Gandalf would be able to get there on time to save them. Unfortunately there was a high probability that he would only be able to extend their lives for a few hours and nothing more.

"You are making a terrible mistake" in his mind Bilbo jotted that probably this sentence, in the current situation, it was more congenial to his behavior to that of the trolls. What had ever crossed my mind? Begin rebuke three large trolls about to roast and eat of the dwarves was totally insane. But Bilbo could not stand still waiting for his fate while in front of his eyes those who he had begun to consider friends were going to die atrociously. He knew that his heart would be turned off before the end if forced to also attend just the death of one of the dwarves.

"You can not reason with them, they are idiots" the comment of Dori from above the spit brought no comfort to Bilbo, it was not exactly a brilliant idea to infuriate trolls. When Bufur answered with "idiots? ... and then what are we? !!" the only thought that crossed Bilbo's mind was: _'it is too much to ask that someone uses a bit of brain?'._ Certainly the hobbit did not believe that the dwarves were stupid, but knowing them veterans of many battles he had expected more inventive in finding a way to take time.

Then, seeing the dwarves struggling on the spit and the horror on the faces of their comrades tied in sacks, he realized that none of them had come to his own conclusions. None of the dwarf was trying to buy time, they just hoped to be able to break free from their restrictions and then use brute force to escape. Bilbo was aware that if it was not for his capture the dwarves would definitely overcome the three creatures, but now the situation was reversed and the trolls were in a position of advantage. Between panic and guilt "em ... I ... I ... I spoke of flavoring" was what came out of his mouth.

"What about the condiment?" complained rightly confused Bert. Fortunately the wits of Bilbo darting in search of solutions on its own and a logical answer to the question of the trolls, no matter how rude and not very appropriate for a gentlehobbit like him, was ready on his lips. "But you've sniffed them? It takes something stronger than sage leaves before serving them on a plate" Bilbo wrinkled his nose to emphasize his statement. When the dwarfs began to protest shouting at him "traitor" and more, he felt a little guilty but not too much because basically what he had said was true.

The trolls looked at each other a bit skeptical. This time Tom was to give voice to his thoughts, "what do you know about how to cook a dwarf?" But was quickly silenced by Bert who growled at him "you shut up ... hear the burglar the hobbits what he says" motioning at the hobbits to continue. Bilbo knew he had chosen the right topic to attract the attention of the leader, seen the great cook attitude of the troll he had glimpsed as he tried to free the pony, at the same time a safe ground of discussion for every hobbit. He could talk for hours of spices, cooking methods, way of serving and everything that could be relate to the culinary.

the fear that gripped his heart was the prospect of being the one who would have adjudicated the procedures of his friends death. "Eh .. em I .. the secret to cook a dwarf is ..." he stammered trying to find any method of cooking that could be impossible to implement or at least maintained alive the dwarves until sunrise without causing them any harm (at least not permanently).

"Yes, come on, tell us the secret" Bert press him with impatient tone. "Yes I'm telling you," huffed annoyed the hobbit, "The secret is ..." Bilbo bit nervously at the insides of her cheeks, in the hope of somehow focus but by then the little creature began to move in panic "is...to skin them first." Bilbo cursed silently against himself, of everything that he could think why should be this one?

"Tom hand me a fillet knife " Bert grinned as if he were pleased with the turn that events were taking. A chorus of "NO" and "I'll skin you, ugly worm" followed by "I do not forget this," growled by Dwalin rose up by the dwarves and Bilbo could not help but raise his eyes to in the sky in exasperation, not that the complaining were unjustified but at least he was there trying to do something to get them out of this mess.

Not even time to contemplate the possible consequences of what he had just suggested, that Bilbo was shaken from his thoughts by the deep voice of Tom. "What bullshit are you babbling about, I've eaten a mountain with all the skin ... let's send them down quickly, boots and all" for some strange reason the creature's mocking tone was more annoying than it would be reasonable to be for Bilbo in such a situation. For the love of Yavanna, they were going to be eaten by trolls, it was definitely not the time to feel wounded pride.

Just at that moment the gaze Bilbo was caught by a movement in the bush behind the three trolls, the silhouette of a pointed hat was passed in haste from a bush to a large boulder. Gandalf !! Bilbo was not sure which one of Valar had to devote his thanks now that the wizard was back.

But the relief of Bilbo was short-lived. "He's right there's nothing wrong with a bit of raw dwarf" this time was William overbearingly to calling for his attention that he was now focused on trying to follow the wizard moves as discreetly as possible. The horrible creature had Bombur grabbed by his feet, pulling him up from the pile of dwarf. "Nice crispy" had hummed as he dangled the poor fellow upside down above his mouth wide open.

Panic. He was about to witness the dismemberment of Bombur. The mild and quiet Bombur, always ready to compliment his cooking, always ready to offer compassion and an apologetic smile when Bilbo complained of the shortage of meals in the dwarven diet. Never, not once, had been rude, surly or inappropriate during the whole trip (which the dwarves were often unconsciously with their tavern jokes and songs, the worst of the taverns). Bilbo could not possibly sit there with hands in hands, so found himself stuttering "ah ... not ... not the one he is ..... is infected" in a voice rather shrill with fear.

Much to the surprise of Bilbo it seemed to work as the vile creaturetossed Bombur on the pile of the dwarves with a disgusted expression, who were not thrilled with the gesture given the size of the companion. The enchantment did not last long when Bert, apparently the most intelligent of the three, look at him doubtfully. "What, what?" he asked him as to challenge Bilbo to repeat his words. "He has worms in his ... ... em, eh ... pipes" Bilbo said, trying to sound believable, even if the sentence came out more as a question than as a statement

In front of the expression of the three trolls, now they were looking at each other one more confusing than the other, Bilbo straighten up and continued with more conviction "in fact, they all have them, they are infested with parasites. A terrible thing, I would not risk ... I mean really !! "he emphasized the cadence on the last words to make them appear like the advice of an old childhood friend.

All his boldness was swept away like straw in the wind when Glóin and Kili began to protest against the offensive statement, "parasites?" "Yes" "said parasites?" "We do not have parasites" "oh no" "you we parasites, we are not infested by parasites. "

Everything that Bilbo wanted to do at that moment was to sink his fingers through his curls and tear his whole head of hair in handfuls for the exasperation, fortunately the bag stopped him. Although until then he had never thought about it, now he is beginning to strongly doubt the intellect of the dwarves, at least to that of some. Instead of sinking into despair he just turned back to the dwarves and cross gazes with Thorin, his expression left very little to interpretation. On the face of the furious little creature it was as if there was written: _'do something before I shove a little' common sense into the head of your nephew kicking him '._

Certainly he would never have done or even thought to do this if it were not for the storm of emotions that swirled in his chest. To be honest between the sense of guilt, fear and anxiety about what Gandalf was planning, Bilbo had no idea where he was having the courage to throw a similar look to the most grumpy dwarf of the company. Apparently Thorin took the suggestion literally, because as soon as he got the message he kicked the young dwarf back.

Kili stopped his complaining with a grunt and turned his gaze to his uncle with an indignant expression. It took a few glances of understanding between Thorin and his companions and the music changed completely, "I haveparasites big as my arm" "my parasites are the biggest, I have enormous parasites" "I have head lice" "you. ... we are severely infested. "

Bilbo let out a satisfied smirk when he took note that the dwarves were collaborating. That little bit of the euphoria died right in his throat when he found the Bert big face a short distance in front of him. "According to you What do we do with those? We let them go? "I whisper the troll a few centimeters away from his face, sending a wave of fetid breath straight into the nostrils of the poor hobbit. "Well ..." Bilbo said with an expression that implied it was the best idea, as he fought against the sporadic gagging that the stench of the creature was causing him to keep his fake submissive behavior.

"Do you think I do not know what blend into your brain? This little ferret is taking us for fools" Bert seemed positively angry now, he had noticed that Bilbo was trying to trick them from the start and had left the little creature continued to smashing it brain, if for no other for the pleasure of breaking his hopes at the end of what, for the troll, was entertainment before dinner.

The fact that that miserable handful of skin and bones had succeeded in instill in them doubts was definitely the most irritating feeling that Bert had ever experienced. When the hobbit protest with an incredulous look as he said "ferret?" as if it were the greatest of insults, looking into the eyes of the huge creature with the most innocent expression that exist in the world, the patience to Bert shattered into a thousand little pieces.

Suddenly the troll grabbed Bilbo to the bust with a single hand, pulled him up and began to tighten his fist. The little creature at the beginning thought to get out of that situation by reasoning with the trolls, but the pure contempt expression on the face of the monster left to assume that there would be no more talk that night.

With a locked arm between his ribs and Bert palm and his feet dangling in midair Bilbo was beginning to feel the tight around his ribs become unbearable, as it breathed the fingers of troll clutched more and more. In all this the dwarves could not help but try to attract the attention of the creature on them, screaming and squirming even more fiercely than before when they realized to their horror that their little burglar was slowly suffocating because of the close on his chest.

The timely appearance of Gandalf, as it served to distract Bert from his grip on Bilbo's ribs, was not enough to deter the enraged troll from his malicious intent. Mind Tom and William asked themselves confused about the possibility of eating or not Gandalf, Bert raised Bilbo above his head, and with all his strength threw him into the forest away from the newcomer. The action was concluded before the wizard could do anything to stop the angry gesture, and the little creature had flown above the canopy of the trees screaming. Bilbo disappeared from the view of the dwarves and Gandalf, who had no choice but to continue with his original plan, hoping for the best.

"Dawn take you all"

# # #

"Hey? Earth to Sally, are you there?" Whined the pretty brunette in the passenger seat beside the driver. "Julia!! how many times have I told you not to call me that? If you want my attention use my name ... Or call me Bilbo since we are going to make a cosplay of The Hobbit" said the chubby girl in the back seat, taking off the headphones from her ears. Not that Julia called Sara always that way, only when she did the unsociable.

"And then, Sally is too cute for me to be compared to her," Sara added watching the passing scenery out of the window. "And here, it reappears Sally" said the brunette, that she making the sign of the cross with her fingers and added, "Come out of this body." the whole car burst into hearty laughter, which followed other comments on the popular animated character.

"Anyway, why did you decide to play Bilbo as a male?" The brunette was very upset by the thing, since she herself was playing a female version of Kili. "Well, Bilbo is a male ... I do not see why I should interpret him otherwise," muttered the blonde puffing annoyed. "Come on, with your physical you would have been adorable in a hobbit dress". and with a flirtatious look she added, "and then, you want to put the whim to make him drool? .... with those stratospheric boobs of yours our 'Thorin' ...." She did not have time to finish the sentence that the blonde gave her a murderous look.

"Leaving aside the fact that with my body no kind of dress would look good on me ..." began the blonde but was abruptly interrupted by her friend's protests, "but it is not true, why are you convinced that you're ugly ?, tell her you too .. "said Julia with an exasperated voice, turning to the guy sitting in the driving seat. Before David (dressed as Dwalin) could answer Sara interrupted him "I do not think I'm ugly, I'm just not beautiful ... and then to return to the earlier remarks, even if I was beautiful I would have no interest in attract the attention of anyone, much less those of Mark "said this she put on her headphones and turned his gaze to the window.

Sara was aware of not being ugly, just did not feel comfortable in a dress. Of course she was a little too chubby for her 150cm in height but she had all the curves in the right place, with large breasts and hips sinuous and wide at the right point. Her face was graceful with high cheekbones and large color-changing (according to the seasons and weather) eyes , for most of the time her irises were dark amber flecked with an intense emerald green. Full lips of a natural pale ruby color, a little French nose and a high forehead were embedded in an oval face, all it framed by a mane of ringlets of chestnut honey color. All in all her appearance from her point of view were what could be called average, except for the eyes..

As this could be annoying, Julia knew that this was a 'discussion ends here' and decided to leave her friend alone. Will for its part had not been entirely sincere, in fact there was someone whose attentions would be like to her but her beloved "Dwalin" saw her only as a younger sister, and in time she had learned to accept this even if reluctantly. However, although it was tempting to change her image in the eyes of David, the very thought of being able to attract Mark made her skin crawl.

From the beginning of their knowledge Sara had failed to like the guy. Mark was the classic _'I'm handsome and I know I am'_ type: arrogant, inappropriate, offensive, and often without any sense of personal space. The last of these features was the most annoying for the girl. Sara had always been introverted and had always felt as if the skin she had been "given" did not belong to her, as if she had been born in the wrong body. Her low self-esteem was due more to this than to her physical flaws (real or imagined they were). The fact that Mark invade her physical space, all the time with so much indifference, and seemed to take pleasure from the frustration that this caused her sent her into a rage.

Not to mention the constant teasing the boy, caused by the fact that she had graduated at 16 (that just because her parents had prevented her from jumping too many years of school for fear that _'you lose too much of life'_ or at least it was what they said) and therefore she was the youngest of their group. During her childhood several doctors had diagnosed her a particular type of autism, that allowed her to excel in studies and other fields but it was often accompanied by some form of haphephobia.

Despite many thought otherwise, Sara felt a perfectly normal girl, maybe a little smarter than average, but without any illness or tragic story to justify preferential treatment towards him. Ever since she was a child she had been labeled a unsociable nerd, but that had not bothered her until Mark had not appeared in his life.

To be perfectly honest her discomfort into physical contact decreased with the increasing of affection and confidence level that she was able to build, although never disappeared entirely. which confined her physical experiences to the simple and innocent affection of family and very few friends.

At the moment the only people with whom he was able to establish physical contact were Julia and David, with whom she shared an apartment for the past two years (almost since they had started college) and even in their case it had took all the high school years for her to feel at ease. Also initially Julia and David had felt obliged to treat her differently but over the years they realized that Sara was simply, well simply Sara, and she was okay to be treated like any other person in the world.

As these thoughts crossed her mind a smile came over his face, looking ahead she saw that Julia was watching her whit the corner of her eye continuing to chat with David. She was not paying attention to the road, as she was focused on her thoughts, everything seemed perfectly normal; the landscape flowed, the mp3 was sending sweet music in her ears, her friends were chatting happily and the car's movements was having a soporific effect on her..

Suddenly a roar attracted her attention and that of her friends, the front tire of the truck that was traveling in the lane to their right had exploded and now the vehicle was careening toward their car. Sara did just in time to see the bonnet of the vehicle that impacted directly on the door to which she was leaning against, ramming and catapulting the car off the road, in a grassy clearing.

For a few minutes (or maybe it had been more than a few minutes Sara could not figure it out) it was as if nothing had happened, it was as if time had stopped after all the commotion caused by the accident. When she became aware of the situation she looked around to find her friends, at first she could not find them, but then realized that both had come out of car. Julia was sitting on the ground close to her window, she was holding his right arm close to her body and her face had several cuts. David was paying emergency aid to the driver of the truck and he seemed not to be hurt.

Sara tried to stretch an arm to attract the attention of her friend, but she could not move any part of her body. Looking down she saw that the door had crumpled in the impact and had enveloped her completely blocking the right side of her body, a kind of small iron girder sticking out of her left side, causing her a massive hemorrhage that had been temporarily buffered by means of luck..

Also wanting without the help of appropriate equipment they would not be able to get her out of the car to lend a better aid than that. They were to several tens of kilometers from the nearest hospital so she probably would have died there. Strangely this thought instead of terrorizing her had on her a calming effect. Certain that fate had a sense of humor, she than for her whole life had felt discounts in her "clothes" would die in someone else's: she would die in a car accident dressed as Bilbo Baggins, which irony.

However she was happy that her friends were out almost completely unharmed and wanted to say goodbye before leaving. She tried to speak but all that came out of her mouth was a strangled gasp, it was still enough, the brunette got to her feet in an instant to check of the friend's condition. "Do not worry, relief efforts are coming" the brunette told her in a hoarse voice as she was trying not to cry.

When Sara closed her eyes and gasped for breath, probably because the beam had pierced the lung, there was no way for the girl to hold back the tears, "Please, Sara ... do not leave me now ..." to these words the blonde opened her eyes and gave a weak smile to reassure her friend. The brunette replied, smiling back with tears streaming down her cheeks, "You promised me that we would have done this cosplay together ... who knows, maybe next year I can slip you into a hobbit dress” whispered Julia sobbing as she gently stroked the hair of her friend, probably in a desperate attempt to keep her conscious.

After all it was not so bad to leave thus, she did not feel any pain and the sweet caresses of the friend made her feel light, as if she were floating in a creek with a gentle current. She struggled to keep her eyes open anyway hoping this will reassure her friend, but her peripheral vision began to blur, leaving less and less space to the face of the girl who now was looking directly into her eyes..

"Sara, please ... please stay with me ... I promise I'll do anything you want ... please .." now the girl's voice was desperate and Sara could do nothing to comfort her friend. "DAVID .... My God help us ..... no, no, no .... DAVID SARA HAVE STOPPED BREATHING .... HELP" the brunette was now in full hysteria as she continued to caress the curls of her friend.

Sara heard her shouting the of name the guy for whom she had felt love, saw him approaching, she heard while he rested two fingers on her neck, and again she could do nothing to reassure them. "There's no heartbeat," the boy said while the tears were beginning to also go down on his face. "No ... it is not true ... ido not believe it ..... we have to do something," the brunette grabbed desperately sheet metal of the door and began to yank them violently, threatening several times to worsen the deep wound on her arm.

Not being able to do anything else David grabbed the girl by the waist and, with a decisive gesture, moved away her from car. While the girl was crying and struggling to reach her friend. " THERE.IS.NO.HEARTBEAT. "He said firmly from behind the girl's neck, she suddenly became a dead weight in his arms. When he let go Julia slumped sobbing on the ground with her eyes fixed on the friend's face that now was watching them with wide lifeless eyes.

David knelt beside Julia and embraced her, with eyes full of tears he looked at the car and said "now we can not do anything but wait for the ambulance." This was the last image that Sara could sense before the world became totally black, little by little also the sounds began to fade, then nothing. The world was gone and she was alone in the darkness..

Strange as it may sound she was not scared just a little disappointed, she had never thought about the life after death, she does not believe that much in the afterlife, but she not did not expected that there was literally "Nothing." This thought brought back to her mind her favorite book, recalling the adventures of Sebastian and Atreiu she felt a sad smile touch her lips, even though at this point she was not sure if she still had lip or a body in general.

Suddenly it was as if gravity had reappeared and she felt falling for what seemed an eternity. To her surprise she seem to land heavily to the ground, at that precise moment her whole body begin to pulse as if the blood had once again begun to circolarle in her veins, while a sharp pain ran through her entire being.

Sara opened her eyes expecting to be unable to see anything but instead just in front of at her eyes there was the crown of a tree illuminated by the first light of dawn, or the last of the sunset for all she could know. Below her she could feel the moisture of the earth and the crashing of leaves and branches, instinctively she dug her fingers into the underbrush and despite the excruciating pain she felt spread from every part of her body she had never felt more at peace with the world in her life.

Her attention was attracted elsewhere when she realized that a massive figure, definitely a dark-haired man, was leaning on her and was talking to her in a language she did not understand. There were some confused moments, then she realized that she could taste blood in her mouth and that her vision was blurry. She could make out very little of the contours of things much less the face of the man who was with her.

She tried to speak but there was something that gripped her chest so much that it was hard to even breathe. Suddenly the man straddled over her, resting his weight on his knees so as not to crush her. Continuing to talk in that strange language the unknown man took a big knife and carved the collar of her shirt, then he took the cut edges of the collar and tug them violently.

Sara was grateful to be able to breathe freely again, but as soon as her skin was exposed the man firmly planted his huge hands at open palm on her breasts. As soon as she realized where the stranger had put his hands and what this could imply a terrified scream came from her throat, "NOOO ..... GET OFF OF ME.....GET OFF OF ME..." fighting against the pain that ran through her body she began to squirm and also managed to scratch the man's face, which for his part was not doing much to defend himself, as intent as he was at hold her breasts.

Out of nowhere a second figure, a blond man from what she could tell, came to help the first holding her hands over her head. The two men continued to talk about or with her, she could not quite understand it, while Sara was desperately trying to break free. "Please let me go" she whispered at last, when exhausted and in pain she had surrendered, and began to cry in shame (to be seen and touched) and frustration (not to be able to defend herself)

Suddenly there was such a roar and a third figure, if possible even more impressive of the two men who were holding her, came into the clearing followed by other blurred shadows. For what she could tell they were all men and Sara's heart became heavy as lead. What would they do to her? How she had arrived in that place? Why could not she understand them? Had she ended in hell or this was all a dream and now she was still in the back seat of David's car sound asleep ?. She had no idea what was going on.

To the growl of the new arrival the man who was straddling her get up his hands as if in surrender, exposing the pale skin of her breasts at the sight of all those present. The blond man continued to detain her wrists, indeed his grip became painfully tight, as if the sight of such abundance had incited within him more aggressiveness. Sara felt terribly helpless and her body was shaken by strong tremors of fear and embarrassment. While a new wave of desperate tears and sobs pervaded her, all she could whisper was "please .... I beg you, let me go. "


	2. The voice of the heart

from this chapter onwards the languages will be identified in this way: " Westron" ; * Elvish * ; ^dwarvish^ ; [Sign language, dwarvish] ; <<real world>>; **~~" black speech "~~** ; _'Thoughts or mental communications'_

* * *

 

 

"Dawn will take you all" and saying that Gandalf struck the boulder on which he had climbed breaking it and revealing the sunlight. The three vile creatures were turned almost immediately into stone, while they were moaning and writhing. As soon as he was sure there was no danger the wizard rushed to the dwarfs in the bags and freed the two young princes first. When they were out of the bags the two dwarves rushed to help him free the comrades, but Gandalf stopped them before they could begin, "No, go find Bilbo. Hurry he could be seriously injured. " Although the wizard tried to maintain a neutral tone it was evident that he was extremely concerned about the little creature, so the two young dwarves disappeared into the bush in the direction of the place where the trolls had thrown Bilbo.

 

It took a while before all the dwarves were free and when they were all balances on their feet, and properly dressed, Thorin began to give the first orders, "we will remain camped at the farm until tomorrow morning to resume our forces. Bofur, Nori, add to my nephews in the research of the burglar, as soon as you find him come back to the farm. Oin and Gloin prepared everything needed in case the halfling or anyone else needs dressings. Bombur returns to the camp and prepare us something to eat. Dori, Ori, procured enough wood to sustain the fire until tomorrow. Balin, Dwalin and Bifur patrolled the surroundings and see if you can recover the ponies. Gandalf few words if you do not mind. " said that he walked to a secluded corner of the clearing followed by Gandalf

 

Thorin knew that after a long night tied on a spit or in a sack to force his dwarves to march (because most likely they would not found all the ponies) for the whole day would have been a futile attempt on their health. The dwarfs were much more resistant than most races, but there was no reason to unnecessarily getting tired, in any case most likely the wounds of the halfling would still forced them to stop for one or more days.

 

Despite from the very beginning he had warned the wizard that he would not take the responsibility for what might happen to the hobbit the thought of the little creature, no matter how useless he was, could be hurt or worse was like a weight on his shoulders. Not that Thorin was fond to Bilbo, indeed he found him very irritating, but the idea of losing a part of the company so early in this adventure was like a bad omen in his eyes, moreover a personal failure.

 

There was something in the hobbit that the exiled king could not understand, as if Bilbo was meant to be near him (at least for the duration of the mission had assumed the dwarf) but at the same time in his presence there was something very wrong . Obviously this led the dwarf barely tolerate the little creature, whenever the two were close Thorin had the feeling that something unnatural flowed under his skin and ended up being gruff and domineering with the poor hobbit.

 

For Thorin the others were friends and relatives to whom he was bound by affection that had been consolidated over the years. Bilboinstead it was a good luck charm, the one without whom their venture was doomed to fail (or at least that was what Gandalf had said) so all he could do was gnash his teeth and go ahead. When from afar between the trees he felt Kili screaming with all his lungs, "I FOUND HIM, HE IS ALIVE AND IN ONE PIECE ..... AT LEAST I THINK". Thorin could not help but breathe a sigh of relief and let slip a smile. Obviously his expression did not go unnoticed at the wizard who reciprocated him with a smug grin, he himself relieved of the good news. Whatever was the reason for such complacency Thorin was not sure he wanted to know and then resumed his usual scowl and asked quietly, "where you went if I may ask?".

 

Gandalf felt elated at the thought that Bilbo had escaped, though his thoughts were darkened by the events of the evening before he felt in the mood, to tease Thorin. "To look ahead," he said simply as if it were the most logical answer that there existed to the question of the dwarf. Thorin looked at him suspiciously but then curiosity got the better of him, "What made you come back?" He asked carefully observing Gandalf's face as if trying to discern the unspoken words in his response. "Looking Back" replied the wizard pleased to have brought another smile, though almost invisible, on the lips of the monarch in exile.

 

Pointing toward the stone trolls the wizard added, "bad business, but they are still in one piece." "Not thanks to your burglar" muttered the dwarf. How much ingenuity that Gandalf could see at that time in the dwarf or maybe it was just mere pride, anyway who sees a mistake must correct it if it is within his power to do it. "He had the good sense to buy time, no one else of you had thought about it" at the words of Gandalf at least Thorin had the decency to look uncomfortable and then the wizard decided to change the subject "should be dropped from the Ettenmoors" .

 

Thorin, realizing the opportunity offered to him by Gandalf, humored him in the conversation, "since when the mountain trolls venturing this far south?" he asked genuinely curious of the answer. "Not from an age, not since a dark power drove these lands" in the ears of Gandalf in his own words he sounded like a dark omen, but he cast the thought in favor of questions that needed an answer in a near future . "They can not have moved in the daylight" ascertained the wizard, "there must be a cave nearby" Thorin said concluding his sentence.

 

While they were about to join the others at the farm, to share the new information, the scream of a terrified woman echoed through the forest. Thorin and Gandalf exchanged a quick glance before rushing towards the source of the sound. "What does a woman do in a place like this?" asked as if Thorin Gandalf could have offering a sure response to such a question. "Perhaps the wife or daughter of the factor have managed to escape, or someone who was traveling on the Great East road" replied the wizard.

 

**# # #**

 

As soon as they entered into the bush Kili and Fili separated to cover a larger search surface, Kili was still able to sense his brother's presence as he was screaming the name of the hobbit at regular intervals, in the hope of receiving a response and shorten the search time. Based on the duration and the way in which Bilbo's scream had waned as he fell, they could assume that the troll had thrown him far enough. Unfortunately, from their positions in the bags the two young dwarves were only able to find a direction rather approximate where it was more likely that Bilbo had landed.

 

Kili felt terribly guilty, in his heart he was convinced that his stupid protests had brought the trolls to exasperation, had it not been so dull probably now Bilbo would be with them and not lost who knows where in the forest, injured or worse. The young dwarf had looked everywhere for almost half an hour now but Bilbo was nowhere, and it seemed not even Fili had been lucky.

 

Kili paused to catch his breath and wipe away some tears, that his guilty conscience was threatening to turn them into a real crying. He had let it slide his back down the trunk of a tree in despair. After a moment of hesitation he started to get to his feet but in distance behind an opening in the middle of the branches of a bramble he saw the dark red of Bilbo's coat. He leaned inside the thorny hedge to see better being careful not to get injured and right there in front of his eyes, at the foot of a tree in a small clearing almost entirely surrounded by brambles, lay motionless the hobbit.

 

Without thinking twice Kili pushed his way through the brambles, using his sword like a machete, and quickly headed for the little Bilbo's body. The hobbit was lying face up under the tree that most likely had cushioned the fall. Unfortunately sliding down from the branches the little creature had fallen, probably upside down, first among the thorns and then on the ground hitting a big rock with his head. Bilbo's face was in the shadows and covered by the blood that flowed from the large gash that the impact with the stone had caused on his scalp, his dark blond curls were now vermillion and his clothes were torn and dirty with mud and blood . For a moment the dwarf think that the hobbit had died and he felt a knot tighten in his throat, now that gentle creature to him seem even smaller and helpless than ever, but suddenly Bilbo began to complain weakly and opened his eyes.

 

Kili knelt beside Bilbo and whisper "Bilbo rest assured, everything will be fine", he tear a piece of his shirt and gently tried to wipe some of the blood from his face before buffer the cut between his locks. "I FOUND HIM, HE is ALIVE AND IN ONE PIECE..... AT LEAST I THINK "he shouted, knowing that soon the others would come to help him, then gently turned to Bilbo, "if there are no broken bones you will be like new in less than a couple of days" he informed the hobbit as he was about to check that all the bones were intact. "Usually the wounds like this bleed a lot and nothing else, nothing serious" he added with a smile, but Bilbo looked at him as if he could not recognize him and this was very worrying.

 

The fact that in turn Kili had the impression of not recognizing Bilbo's eyes, and that his face and his body seemed different, however it had to be just a game of his tired mind. After all, how many other hobbits could be rained down from the sky that night? And even if there were other hobbits around in the woods, what chance could be that they were wearing his own clothes? No, that was to be their burglar, there were no other explanations.

 

<< Who? .... I do not ... breathe .. >> the unintelligible words gasping by Bilbo attracted the attention of Kili on the labored breathing of the hobbits. It was likely that the troll had broken some of his ribs, in the worst case, the broken bones could have perforated the lungs, for now all Kili could do for him was to relieve the pressure around his chest loosing anything that was too narrow. Checking well, it did not seem there was anything beyond the waistcoat that could prevent Bilbo to breathe, but just as he unbuttoned his waistcoat the young dwarf realized that the blouse of the hobbit was dangerously tight around his chest.

 

The blouse was so tight that cut it would have been risky and Kili would be forced to tear it with his hands. The young dwarf straddled Bilbo in order to avoid having to move him too much, resting his weight on his knees not to risk to crush him or make any pressure on his ribs. "I know you're a very modest guy and you love your clothes," he said as he pulled his dagger from its sheath, "but this will help you breathe better ... do not hate me please." telling that he cut the collar then he took the cut edges and tug them violently.

 

The thin fabric gave way like paper under the strong hands of the dwarf and as soon as it was free the little creature breathed deeply. When Bilbo's chest rose up, to allow his lungs to fill with air, two round and pale breasts peered from the torn edges of his clothing and Kili instinctively grabbed them in the misguided attempt to cover them and save the modesty of the one that was obviously a woman. The young dwarf was completely stunned, his mind could not make sense of what his eyes were seeing. Observing better the hobbit (the SHE-hobbit) there was no doubt it was Bilbo, only now for some absurd reason he was a female.

 

<< NOOOO .... GET OFF OF ME ….. GET OFF OF ME .... >> the woman screamed in terror while desperately trying to escape the grip of the dwarf. Kili could not understand in what language Bilbo was speaking, and shocked as he was he did not move from his position in the least. As far she was waving there was no hope that the she-hobbit was able to move him much less to 'unsaddle him'.

 

To his shame, the lad realized how easy it would be for him to take advantage of the moment, while the little creature squirming with the strength that reminded him so much the flicker from the wings of a little bird. Kili was so immersed in those thoughts and the sensation of silky skin under his palms that he did not realize that Fili had entered the clearing until he saw him block the hands of Bilbo, which apparently unbeknownst to him were trying to blind him, above her head.

 

"Kili, what the hell were you thinking? ..." the prince scolded the younger brother, "That was close, he'll almost gouged you out an eye ... and why he stirs so much?" he muttered through clenched teeth as he held firm the Bilbo's arms. For Fili the whole situation was absurd. As soon as he arrived in the clearing he found himself in front of the two in that strange position, Kili as a pillar of salt was looking dazed on Bilbo's face while he was waving like a cat in a sack.

 

"I ... i do not ... I should not touch them ... really ... is not right," had stuttered Kili at some point and the blond dwarf was now more confused than before. "What are you talking about? What you should not touch? " Fili asked to his brother but his attention was moved on Bilbo who suddenly stood motionless under them, probably exhausted after all that wiggling.

 

Fili was about to open his mouth to try to reason with Bilbo when the little creature waded him straight in the face, its huge and wonderful eyes filled with tears and terror while Bilbo's body was shaken by tremors and sobs. With an extremely female voice Bilbo whisper << Please... please let me go ... >> in a language that Fili do not know, but those words sounded dangerously like a supplication or a request for mercy. The idea that somehow the hobbit thought that the two young princes wanted to hurt him, it was like a punch in the stomach for Threads. What, in the name of Mahal, he could suggest to their burglar any one of the dwarves in the company could have bad intentions against him ?. Even Thorin, however rude, would never lifted a finger on the hobbit, not even as a joke.

 

Just then Thorin came into the clearing followed by Gandalf, Bofur and Nori. "Fili, Kili, what's happening?" to the roar of his uncle, Kili raised his hands as in surrender, exposing the pale skin of two firm and young breasts at the sight of all present. Now Fili could understand the words of his brother, and for a brief moment his grip tightened on the woman's wrists, _'no .. he definitely should not have touch them'_ he think. The young prince realized that he and his brother were imposing their strength on a young woman, had touched without her consent that delicate creature who was now terrified.

 

Now the prince was completely still, just as Kili in time when he had entered the clearing. That situation was so surreal that he felt paralyzed, although the only thing he wanted to do was get away from Bilbo. Fili felt Bilbo's body (because this was Bilbo without a doubt) shaken by strong tremors, definitely caused by fear and embarrassment, and while a new wave of tears and desperate sobs pervaded her the hobbit whisper << please. ... I beg you, let me go >> in that unknown language.

 

Thorin could not believe his eyes. The exiled king had gone to that required for help expecting to find a woman in danger, instead he found himself in front of his nephews who for some absurd reason were holding down a whimpering and battered Bilbo. Suddenly, for some spell that he could not understand, two of the most attractive breasts he'd ever seen in his life were attached to what should have been the body of his burglar. _'In the name of Mahal, what the heck was going on?'_ he thought . The initial amazement faded to the sound of a gentle voice whispering an incomprehensible pleading but at the same time its meaning was all too much clearly.

 

The scene in front of him gave him the creeps. His two young nephews, his heirs, were holding a woman by force and against her will they had touched her indecently, reducing her to tears. Moreover all this was taking place under the eyes of almost the whole company, not that this was the point of course. No matter how the gesture was dictated by the need, it did not matter that there was no malice in their intentions, all that was important was that his nephews were estranged from Bilbo (until proven otherwise) before they worsen the situation further.

 

For dwarves the women, of whatever race they were, was considered a gift because of their rarity in their race. Women bring with them life and the strength to sustain it, do an injustice to one of them was not only morally reprehensible but also an omen of misfortune or death. He would never allowed that a woman was abused before his eyes, especially if this could mean that his nephews would have attracted the ire of their fathers on them or the company.

 

Realizing that the two boys were astonished as much as he for their actions, he strode up toward them, he lifted them as a dead weight one at a time and throwing them little decorously in the middle of the clearing at the foot of the other. Doing this Thorin stepped his body between his nephews and the woman (or rather the girl, for what Thorin could see) hoping to save what was left of her modesty. As soon as she was free from the outlet of the two young dwarf the she-hobbit had close her arms around her chest in a desperate attempt to cover herself and crawled between the roots of the tree, crouching so as to be as small as possible she continued to cry and sob. That show was like a dart to the heart to Thorin. Never in his life he had wanted so much to protect someone, to be kind to someone who did not belong to his family or his people.

 

"What passes for those blockheads? Does it look the way you treat a woman?" He growled the monarch toward his nephews, who now seemed extremely embarrassing by what they had done. "Your mother would want to shave you, up to the last one hair, if she should know this ..." Thorin had continued, and now the principles seemed almost in tears. "And she probably would claim my scalp," he added with a resigned sigh as he turned to Bilbo (not knowing how else to call the girl). "Who is she? Why does she is wearing the clothing of Bilbo?" he asked, hoping that his nephews had at least one idea of what was going on. "I .... I think .. she is Bilbo, but do not know how he became a she" had answered Kili, in a voice so faint as to be barely audible.

 

Thorin look to Gandalf, who in the meantime had approached the she-hobbit but did not indicate that he had any intention of touching her. When the wizard nodded to him the dwarf realized that such a thing was quite possible, and therefore that frail shaky figure was in fact Bilbo Baggins of the Shire, the burglar who had signed his contract, male or female that it was.

 

"For what reason, have you ripped her clothes?" to that question all the color disappeared from the faces of the two young dwarfs, but Thorin continued his interrogation, "And for Mahl beard, why you had your hands on her breasts?". The latter question was addressed clearly at Kili who rushed to respond, "it is not as it seems ... he .... I mean she ... she could not breathe but I thought she was the true Bilbo ... I mean that she was male ... So ... When I saw them I wanted to cover her, but she ... she just started yelling in this strange language ... I did not know what to do." concluded the young dark-haired with a regretful sigh and shame, while the tears were beginning to fall.

 

"And what do you have to say for yourself?" this time Thorin's question was directed towards Fili. "I thought Bilbo were waving for his wounds and Kili was trying to keep him from hurting himself further. So I tried to help my brother, of course. I realized that something was wrong when I heard her voice then .... then Kili raised his hands .... his hands …" the young prince could not finish the sentence, his face was the same color of ripe tomatoes and he kept staring stubbornly at the boot of his uncle.

 

Thorin could not blame too much Fili and Kili given their young age ( they certainly were trained to fight, not to react in similar situations), but somehow he had to punish them. "From now on, you are forbidden to be less than 3 meters from the halfling .... hem, I meant the she-hobbit, unless there is no other choice. In any case you can approach her only in the presence of other and only if she agrees to staying in your presence. I make myself clear? " he asked in the most authoritarian tone he had ever taken in his life, the threat of a heavy punishment for any disobedience was implied, and the two young nodded vigorously completely submissive.

 

Thorin well knew how his nephews worshiped Bilbo's friendship, and this would serve both to punish them and made to feel safer the young woman. He started to get close to the girl, walking in big heavy steps and straightening his back in order to have the most dignified appearance possible in such a situation, but he was frozen in moving by the voice of Nori. "If I were you I would not go near her so soon, and in any case not with an attitude so threatening" the voice of the thief hit him in the pride, the last thing he wanted was to seem threatening

 

"And pray, would you be kind enough to tell me why I should not get close ..... seen that in her eyes I am the one who has saved her?" Thorin was very annoyed by the defiant tone of Nori. "Yes, of course, you saved her .... or ... in her eyes you are the leader of a group of bandits and you want to take away the whim to be the first to rape her .... you know the story of virginity and all the rest. After that, you will leave her to our loving care ... one at a time or all at once, I do not think it makes any difference for her seen the way we found her with the guys. But this is just my guess. Do not worry my king, I am sure that this thought did not in the least touched her brain" the tone of mockery in the Nori's voice was just too much, Thorin wanted to punching him right there, at that moment, but the star-haired dwarf was right. Nori had seen a lot more things than all of them in his life, many of them thanks to his work as a spy and thief, he knew how much the world was cruel, especially with women.

 

Thorin nonetheless cursed Nori and his lack of finesse. Fili and Kili were now white as a sheet and their mouths were wide open in a grimace of pure horror, probably until then they had not fully understood how serious it had been their actions. Thorin was pretty sure that was the first time the two had to do with the female body, he himself had landed his first relationship with a woman over his first century of life, almost certainly his nephews had already had the their first sexual experiences, the classic tumbling with a training partner or some childhood friend.

 

For the dwarves, unlike men, there was nothing wrong with two males (or two women) who shared the pleasures of the flesh, in fact it was quite common given the lack of females in their race and their reluctance to socialize with other races. The thought of two young would associate their first experience with the female gender to an act so perverse worried him. He himself at the moment felt as a repulsive being at the mere thought that a creature so delicate could feel threatened by him in that way, he could only imagine what his nephews were feeling.

 

While Thorin pondered the words of his companion, unsure how to proceed in approaching Bilbo, other dwarves entered the small clearing. Dwalin, Balin and Bifur had appeared from the hedge out of breath, they had probably, running up to them attracted by the request of the girl's help, and now they stared confused the scene. "Thorin, what's happening? We heard a woman scr- ... "Dwalin had begun to demand an explanation when from behind Thorin a tiny shadow was thrown as fast as lightning on him.

 

Thorin did just in time to yell "STOP .... IS A WOMAN" that Dwalin, who had raised his arms to achieve the twin axes he kept attached to his back, felt two thin arms tighten around his waist in a flickering embrace. He could not see much of that little creature, which apparently was a woman, though by the height and curly hair in the eyes of the dwarf she looked just like Bilbo, which had absolutely no sense. Not knowing what to do the rugged dwarf remained completely still while she sank her face in the fur that covered his chest before bursting into a desperate cry, but that seemed more liberating than sadness or fear.

 

The girl spoke in a strange language, Dwalin did not understand the words but it was obvious that she was asking him comfort and protection. As gruff and unaccustomed to displays of affection that he was, Dwalin could not help but slowly lower his arms and encircle those tiny shoulders as gently as possible. Initially she stiffened, but then she hugged him with even more strength. As he embraced her he made no attempt to restrain her to himself, leaving her the opportunity to get away at any time. However, he puts a hand on her neck and began to whisper words of comfort.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what do you think? it is worth to continuing this story? I am open to suggestions and I would like to receive constructive criticism, to improve myself. do not be shy even if the comments will not be positive, I prefer an ugly truth to a pretty lie. thanks for your time ^ _ ^
> 
> P.S. I'll post the next two chapters in the first days of September.


	3. Cosplay Camp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I wrote that I would posted chapters 3 and 4 in the first days of September, but I thought maybe it is better a chapter every 15 days that two once a month. I hope you enjoy the reading ^ _ ^

 

* * *

 

**Languages:**

"common" ; * Elvish * ; ^dwarvish^ ; [Sign language, dwarvish] ; << real world>> ; **~~" black speech "~~** ; _'Thoughts or mental communications'_

 

 

* * *

 

The third man came striding towards them and Sara closed her eyes hoping that the touch of the newcomer was not rude as his size left to assume. After what seemed an eternity to her, nothing had happened, she opened her eyes just in time to see the man that grabbed her attackers and threw them as if they were weightless away from her. The man stepped between her and the other in the clearing, but Sara was not going to find out why, that figure appeared to her too threatening, and from what she had been able to see he had a real uncommon strength.

 

As soon as she was free she tried desperately to cover herself, tried unsuccessfully to unite the edges of her blouse which obviously had not been sewn for a female body, and crawled away in the hope to get away as possible from those unknown men. Unfortunately, the lack of a clear vision and her aching limbs prevented her from going far. When she managed to find a niche, among those that seemed roots, she curl up inside it in an attempt to hide. Never in her life she had felt so scared and to her frustration she could not help crying for the umpteenth time that evening.

 

The tall man (or so it appeared to Sara) was now screaming threateningly against her attackers. Sara could not understand a word, but from the tone, he seemed decidedly a higher who is scolding his subordinates. The reality hit her like a slap in the face, _'and if they were criminals? If this is a dream I should not worry, but if it was not? And if I were really dead and this is my afterlife, and from now on I'll have to live here? '_ she thought as she watched them interact. Suddenly the tall man turned to her and began to approach her, his back straight and a decided gait as someone who is going to withdraw his reward.

 

Sara clenched her fists and got ready, she honestly did not know what to expect but whatever happened, wherever she was at that time, she would not surrender without a fight now that she was able to regain some lucidity. One of the other men had talked attracting the attention of the tall man, who now gave her the shoulders and was responding with a tone of voice that seemed very intolerant, it was obvious that he did not like to be interrupted or annoyed. While the discussion between the two went on, Sara noticed a figure very high (at least 30cm higher than the tall man) who was observing her from a short distance, she had no idea when he was approached but he did not seem to want to hurt to her indeed in some way that presence was reassuring her.

 

All of a sudden more men entered the clearing, she had the impression that one of them had a very familiar appearance, but her eyesight although it was a bit sharper still was not completely reliable. "Thorin, what's happening? We heard a woman scr ... " to those words Sara's heart jumped into his throat. _'This is David's voice'_ she thought as her heart began to beat wildly, and a strange feeling of euphoria (that which is perceived when you passes over a bump at full speed with the car) is firmly established in her guts.

 

Without thinking twice she collected all the forces that remained in her body, stood up and ran as fast as that was possible toward that voice. Although she could not understand a word she was sure it was David's voice, this was entirely plausible since he spoke fluently at least 7 or 8 languages. After all, she had spent too much time to memorize every shade, every tone of that voice that so she had worshiped in the days of her crush with no hope for the boy. She was aware that most probably the stranger was not David but her instincts told her to run as fast as possible towards what was her only lifeline.

 

She passed the tall man and lunged blindly with open arms to the friendly voice, almost crashing into a broad chest that seemed made of stone. Sara felt the man's muscles move under his clothes when he raised his arms, she instinctively taken the gesture as an invitation and hug his waist. When the tall man's voice boomed behind her all that Sarah could do was cling desperately to the 'supposed David', while the man was still completely immobile after the roar of what was probably his commander.

 

Sara sank her face in what looked like a fur adorned with strips of leather, the stranger had a strong smell, but definitely not unpleasant, he smelled of wet grass, soot and metal. The thought that she had found an ally was too great relief and the girl burst into tears again. << Please ... tell me, that you are you.... please tell me you are my David >> she sobbed with her face pressed against the broad chest of the unknown. << And if you're not ... do not ... do not let them come close ... save me >> she whispered, hating herself for her weakness, but the man did not seem to understand her and not made to move.

 

When she was almost sure that everything was useless, the stranger slowly lowered his arms and gently clasped her shoulders as if he was afraid to break her, initially she stiffened but then hugged him with even more vigor. She felt one of the huge man's hands slip into the back of her head, as if to support her standing, his fingers slipping gently through her curls made sticky with blood and sent a shiver down her spine. "Do not worry little one, there's nobody here who wants to hurt you. You're safe with us ... I will take care of you " while the man whispered those words, that to her ears rang incomprehensible, Sara felt his warm breath in her hair and the gentle touch of his lips on her forehead. The rational part of her brain told her that this was not a good sign, but nonetheless she found herself relaxing and a little later the fatigue got the better of her.

 

Dwalin had just enough time to gently tighten his grip to prevent the girl, now unconscious, to slipping away from his arms. When, once he had picked up the frail little girl, he looked up everyone present (including Gandalf) were looking at him as if he had grown a second head. "What? ... She passed out, I have no choice but to take her in my arms," he said, trying to sound as disinterested as possible. "Yes, of course, and I bet it bothers you a lot," teased him Nori grinning from ear to ear. "What do you mean 'thief'?" Dwalin's tone now was quite threatening but Nori knew he can manage him (especially if Dwalin had his hands full) then he continued his teasing.

 

"Nothing, relax ... it's just that you have spotted your beard a bit with blood, but I suppose you do not care after that tender kiss ...." Nori did not have time to finish his sentence that Dwalin was already charged him although he had the girl in his arms, fortunately Balin stood before him preventing him to realize his attack. "What Nori meant, brother, it is that you do not certainly seem a dwarf who manifests certain attitudes .... actually I myself was shocked by that kiss" as always Balin's voice was gentle with a fatherly tone and Dwalin could not help but blush and look down at the girl in his arms. "Well ... but she is so small and delicate ... even more than Bilbo, how can you not want her to defend her?" muttered the bald dwarf as he clutched the girl more firmly to his chest.

 

Thorin, like everyone else for that matter, could not believe his eyes: Dwalin, the most cynical and rude dwarf he had ever known was blushing like a bride in her wedding night. If not for that absurd desire (to which he could not give it a name or an explanation) to tear the girl from the arms of his friend he would have laughed like everyone else, while Nori took advantage of the distraction that the elderly dwarf offered him to disappear into the bush.

 

"But that's Bilbo" Kili's words rang out in the clearing and attracted the eyes of all present on him. "Lad, what you going on about?" At this point Dwalin did not know what to do, if what Kili had said was true the delicate female, who now was resting in his arms completely helpless, was their burglar. How on earth was possible ?, _'surely the wizard must have done some kind of trouble with that damn stick'_ was the only explanation that the dwarf was able to give to his tired mind.

 

Dwalin, in any case, was not going to be influenced by this, although previously that docile female was a male he would defend her anyway, she had run into his arms without hesitating even for a second and he would repay that trust . He already felt that the little creature was like a little sister or a niece, and his cheeks reddened again at the thought of being able to cuddle and protect her, but given the astonished glances that his companions were directing on him a doubt assailed him _'maybe I inhaled too much smoke on the spit '_. Definitely it was not like him to behave like a little girl who received her first doll.

 

When they returned to the camp they were greeted by Bombur and a pot of hot stew, needless to say that the poor chef was completely lost at the sight of his companions with the unconscious girl and the absence of Bilbo. While Ori helped Dwalin to arrange the bedroll of Bilbo to accommodate the girl the other dwarves settled around the fire with the stew for refreshment. Dwalin obviously refused to move away from the girl to eat, the only time he looked away was when Oin bandaged her wounds and changed her clothes. It was already late morning when everyone began to find a good place to rest.

 

"Fili, Kili you have the first watch. Wake Bofur and Bifur just after the sun has passed its peak "commanded Thorin, the two youths wanted to protest that in this way their guard shift would last twice as usual but by the tone of their uncle this had to be part of their punishment, so they prepared themselves to obey with their heads down. Thorin was definitely in a bad mood and his nephews had no intention to further draw his attention on them.

 

For his part, the exiled king could not understand the reason for his scowl, the behavior of his nephews had made him angry but certainly his reaction had begun to be disproportionate. Whenever he turned his gaze to the girl lying dormant with the bald dwarf to watch over her sleep, Thorin felt the urge to move him away from her, to replace him. He had never been the victim of his baser instincts but every time his eyes rested on the girl everything that the king wanted to do was touch her, protect her, make her his and hide her from the view of anyone else.

 

Thorin had found a place as far as possible from the she-hobbit to lie down, desperately trying to welcome the much desired rest in his mind but his thoughts continued to swirl around the image of the pink breasts of the girl and how nice it would be the feeling of touching that soft skin. The image of Kili and Fili above the little creature into tears suddenly appeared before his eyes, and his gaze shifted from the girl to the two young dwarfs.

 

To his amazement he saw that his nephews now were watching him with a puzzled expression, almost with fear, and he realized he was looking at them with hate. Obviously he did not hate them at all, but something inside him hated the fact that they had touched HIS hobbit and he did not, for the first time in his life Thorin had the desire to raise his hands on his nephews and physically hurt them and this was something that he could not stand. After a moment he looked away feeling ashamed of his thoughts : he was ashamed of the desire he felt towards the young stranger, he was ashamed to be jealous of his nephews, he was ashamed of not being able to understand his own feelings.

 

All this confusion of sentiments appeared as a furious Thorin to the company eyes, but in reality the dwarf was more afraid of himself than upset about the situation. All the bad feelings he had experienced with Bilbo at the beginning had become a burning desire so quickly that Thorin was feeling dizzy, how was it possible that in a few hours everything had changed? that girl, from where she was popped? If her presence was the result of a sorcery, so it was his feelings ?. Too many questions and no answers, his temper was expected to worsen.

 

The day and night followed without any noteworthy event, the dwarf rested and fed themselves. Thorin barely managed to sleep a few hours, continuing to toss and turn without stopping in his bedroll. He still forced himself to lie down when he was not on his watch, pretending to be asleep as he continued to be more concerned for all that lay ahead. It was not necessary that the others bother for him, it was not necessary that they would realize his weaknesses. When dawn finally came to Thorin was both a relief and a torment, he felt tired and sore but could not bear to stay still a moment longer.

 

The young she-hobbit, despite her wounds and a slight fever, had not complained at all (unlike the previous Bilbo on the trip) in her sleep. The camp began to come to life and the crack of dawn were just beginning to peep from the crest of the mountains, once awake the dwarves began to prepare for departure, while Bombur prepared breakfast. All were busy with the exception of Dwalin that (stubborn as a mule) refused to leave the delicate creature, who disturbed by the hustle and bustle of the camp was beginning to stir under the covers of her bed.

 

 

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Sara awoke wrapped in a warm fur to the sound of dishes slamming and muffled murmurs. Her head still ached terribly but the view seemed greatly improved, so she poked her head from her blanket and found herself in the middle of a busy camp. Everyone were occupying with something even though she could not understand what it was. Suddenly the figure who sat beside her approached her and gently lifting the fur that partially covered her face. << Dwalin? >> she found herself whisper bewildered, this was a cosplay made damn good, the man who stood before her and smiled was the same as the character in the movie.

 

"Hey, she recognized me ... She said my name," whatever that Dwalin had said had attracted the attention of everyone else. In less than no time Sara found herself surrounded by the entire company of Thorin Oakenshield. _'Holy shit, they are the same !!'_ was the first thought that through her mind. Looking around she could not help but burst out laughing, she sat up slowly to ease the feeling of nausea she felt and once she find a comfortable position from sitting she rebuke them  << for God's sake guys, you have brought me an heart attack. I have no idea how I got here ... but you could have told me right away that I ended up in a Cosplay Camp >>.

 

The Oin on duty came over to check her condition, "Bilbo i am not sure it's good for you to be already in this position," he said pushing gently on her shoulder to make her lie down. Sara let herself be guided up to rest her head on what looked like a pillow made with the coat of someone, she suddenly recognized the name 'Oin' had just spoken with worried eyes. She looked around but could not see the figure of the hobbit anywhere. Her eyes widened in surprise when she realized that they probably had encountered her while they were looking for their comrade, and that now they were asking for information. << ... Oh my God, I do not know where it can be your Bilbo .... I'm sorry, you're surely worried sick for him >> she said, shaking her head vigorously.

 

"Do you think she is saying that she is not Bilbo?" Ori asked timidly from the back of the group. "Of course she is Bilbo, she is just confused .... who would not be in this condition? True, Mr. Gandalf? "Dori assured him while he sought the approval of the sorcerer, who at the time was looking at the whole situation from afar extremely concerned. "Is complicated, Master dwarf .... surely this girl is Bilbo yet she is not ... at least not the Bilbo that we all know," replied the wizard when the looks full of anticipation of the dwarves were becoming harder to ignore.

 

"What do you mean Tharkûn?" asked Thorin with a peremptory tone, almost threatening, from a distant corner of the decaying farm. Since their return to camp the dwarven king had kept his distance from the girl, that creature confused him, made him feel strange feelings that he could not understand. For the first time in his life Thorin did not trust himself, and he did not understand why. He wanted to be near her and ward off anyone who tried to get closer, if only he could hold her in his arms he was sure that he would growled, showing his teeth like a wolf that is feeding, against anyone who threatened to take her away.

 

All this was not like him, was not the behavior of a king. _'Surely this is all part of the spell that hit the halfling ... maybe someone is trying to distract me from my purpose'_ he said to himself after a long brooding. Thorin had set itself to stay as far as possible from the delicate creature and its temptations, clenching his fists up to make his knuckles white and swallowing painfully around the knot that was forming in his throat every time that Dwalin (which apparently was the chosen one from the she-hobbit) touched her skin as he cared for her. But now he could no longer sit on the sidelines without saying anything, the wizard had to give him an explanation a riddle would not be enough for him.

 

Gandalf looked at the dark scowl of the dwarf and with a sigh prepared to answer his question. "From what I see, it is possible that the 'essence' of Bilbo and this girl have been mixed or exchanged altogether, is not in my power to say to what extent this creature is still Bilbo Baggins . No doubt this body is that of Bilbo, that has changed according to the new presence within it, but... " he took a moment of pause to weigh well the words he was about to say " as for the mind, well, it's too early to say with certainty".

 

"Where can we find such certainty?" asked Thorin wrinkling his forehead knowing full well what would be the reply of the wizard. "Lord Elrond probably can help us in this ... and maybe even in other predicaments of our mission," said the wizard warily, knowing well how Thorin hated the elves and all that concerned them. The exiled king seemed about to explode with rage, his face was a dark cloud that promised storm, when a sudden sound distracted him. << Pff ... ha ha ha ... you are such and such .... ha ha ha .... you can also do the same furious expression of Thorin >> the sound of the voice of the girl (who now was looking at him directly through the crowd of dwarves around her) was like music to his ears, his name on the lips of that creature so pure and delicate was sweet as honey that melts in the mouth.

 

For an instant his face was completely enthralled by the ecstasy that this melody was making spread in his whole being, and there was no trace of any concern in the heart of Thorin, at least not until he realized that his body was reacting in a very little prudish manner. The mighty dwarf quickly looked away from the girl and turned to Gandalf with an annoyed expression, but not angry, "This was your plan all along, to find refuge in to our enemy." "You have no enemy to worry about Thorin Oakenshield, the only ill will that you will find in the valley of Imladris is the one that you bring yourself" Gandalf was really starting to have enough of the mistrust of Thorin toward the elves, but he knew it was better not to anger the dwarf.

 

"Do you think the elves want to bless our mission? Rather they will try to stop us, "Thorin now seemed more inclined to dialogue but his question remained, however rhetoric. "Of course they will do it but we have questions to be answered ... if we want to succeed the matter should be treated with tact and respect, and no small dose of charm, that's why you will let me do the talking," said Gandalf straightening his back in a vain attempt to outclass the authoritarian tone of the dwarf. "We will bring the she-hobbit to the pointed-ears, but we will not mention the map or our mission " warned the king in exile.

 

That said Thorin walked away from the group toward the woods with the intention to find a moment of peace for his poor aching head, away from the noises of the camp and the presence of the she-hobbit. In any case they would be put in motion only after lunch and the company of dwarves were too busy to curiously observe the girl to make attention to his absence. All the attention on the little creature (which in turn was observed around with big, wonderful curious eyes) did nothing but worsen the discomfort of the exiled king, that with a last glance and a grunt of outrage directed at the girl disappeared into the bush.

 

And unto Sarah did not escape Thorin's attitude (not knowing how else to call them she had decided to assign to each one the name of the character he was playing). That look so full of indignation had bothered her a lot, certainly she had done nothing to deserve to be the addressee of such contempt. Oddly this strange behavior left a bad taste in her mouth, as if somehow it were not that way that things had to go between the two. Sara was used to being marginalized and had learned to give a damn of others' opinions, but in some ways the idea that this man had found her unworthy of his company hurt her deeply. The girl tried to immediately eliminate those feelings by confining them in a hidden corner of her heart as she had done many times before, the last thing she needed was to become attached to a stranger dressed as Thorin Oakenshield met in a forest.

 

All around her she could see "the Company" observing her with curious eyes, she looked at them in turn increasingly amazed at how their costumes were detailed and well executed. As far the clothes and accessories are not identical to those used in the film the image of each character was perfectly defined. The furs seemed to have jagged edges as if they were actually handmade and judging by how soft her blanket was they should not be synthetic, the layers of leather appeared worn for too much use (certainly not like those used once a year ), all weapons that she could see (unlike those of aluminum without tips or blade used in a cosplay costume) seemed heavy and their blade give a glimpse of the glitter of a sharp edge.

 

Sara continued to observe everything that surrounded her from her pallet while the rest of the group slowly came back to take care of what they were doing before she woke up. All but Dwalin that just sit beside her watching the point where Thorin had disappeared into the bush. The girl pulled her arm from under the blanket and before she could realize what she was doing her small hand was gently stroking the back of the warrior's hand. Dwalin taken aback by the soft feel of those little fingers drew back abruptly and his sudden movement frightened to death the girl. Certainly this man had been kind to her, but this did not give her the right to take certain confidences so scared and taken by guilt Sarah buried herself under the blanket.

 

As soon as he realized what had happened Dwalin felt terrible, so far she had not shown the slightest fear of him, the little creature had hidden under the blanket as fast as a hare which falls into its lair after spotted an eagle. The dwarf reached out a hand towards the trembling cocoon placed it gently on what must have been the girl's shoulder. "I'm sorry I did not mean to scare you, I promise that from now on I will do more attention .... mm? How about that little one? "he said with a soft voice and calm. The girl initially stiffened under his touch, and for a moment she seemed to have no intention of trusting the warrior, when Dwalin was about to give up the curly little head of the she-hobbits popped from the blanket.

 

Obviously the girl had not understood a single word and now she was looking at him as if to understand what he had said. The sullen little face before him had swollen cheeks as if she were holding her breath and her forehead was so corrugated that her eyebrows seemed a single line. At that sight the worried frown of dwarf dissolved into loud laughter, Dwalin laughed so much that his vision clouded with tears. When the bald dwarf managed to regain some of his composure and turned his gaze back to the girl the expression that greeted him left him breathless. The smile more tender and solar he had ever seen was printed on the face of the she-hobbit and there was no doubt that it was entirely devoted to him.

 

Never in his life Dwalin, had been the recipient of such a gesture, so sincere, so loving and pure. Even among women from dwarven race he had never been very popular, his appearance was too intimidating and his temperament too gruff, even the most daring she-dwarves had never let go with him as this little creature who sat in front of him. All of a sudden, Dwalin realized that even though she had not understood what he had said (at least not the words) she had perfectly understood the message he wanted to give her. All this farce had been artfully assembled by her to make him laugh, it was her way to apologize for making him worry about her. They were the decades that Dwalin does not laughed so much and before I knew it he was holding the little she-hobbit in his arms and she was giggling while nuzzled her face into his chest.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me if the story runs so slow, but I really like to describe things and feelings.


	4. I'm dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning! This chapter contains explicit content that might be considered offensive or not depending on your sensibility. I'm not responsible for anything if you keep reading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, ^_^  
> then? until now what do you think?  
> This new chapter worries me a bit, I did my best to try not to fall into banality or obscene language but in the end I do not have much control on the plot, it has practically wrote itself and I have not had the heart to force things to be different so do not judge me too harshly T.T. I really need to know what you think of this particular chapter so if someone wants to comment on my work you are very welcome . as usual I hope you enjoy the reading.

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**Languages:**

"common" ; * Elvish * ; ^dwarvish^ ; [Sign language, dwarvish] ; << real world>> ; ** ~~" black speech "~~** ; _'Thoughts or mental communications'_

 

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Thorin needed to be alone, to have time to think, to have time to calm his soul and body. Above all his body. He painfully had realized that he could do nothing but follow the advice of Gandalf, probably the elves would free him from that small (and beautiful) plague that so suddenly had rained down upon him. Obviously this would be good for her too. Of course he knew that they still need a burglar but of what use could have been the she-hobbits to their quest if all she had done since she had appeared had been distract them (though probably the only one to be completely captivated by her was just him, but he would admit this even to himself). Unfortunately at the mere thought of leaving her with the elves, his blood seethed with rage.

 

As soon as he realized that he was far enough away from the camp to have a bit of privacy, but close enough to be within earshot in case of need, he drew his sword and began to launch swipes in the air. With great skill and grace he continued to fight his invisible opponent, all his movements were well controlled as they were the rhythm of his breath and her heart. He slowly began to increase the pace, each hit more and more brutal than the last, the breath more labored, the heart beating ever faster. Suddenly, after a particularly powerful lunge that almost made him lose his balance, he throw his sword on the ground with an angry gesture and hissed a curse through clenched teeth to avoid shouting it to the sky out of frustration.

 

It all had been for nothing. Every muscle of his body were protesting with fatigue, he was completely covered in sweat and yet it seemed that his whole body (a portion in particular) were not yet tired enough. He focused on all that the world had taken away from him, on everything he hated and all the difficulties that still lay ahead but it was to no avail. He sat down on a fallen log not far from him and let his face sinking in his hands, while his stubby and calloused fingers made their way among the raven locks mottled with silver of his thick hair. After a few moments of despair he resigned to take care of his body that traitor would not obey him.

 

He took deep breaths, trying to imagine the most disgusting things he had ever seen _'a long list'_ he thought as a bitter smile touched his lips. He tried once again to appease his desire with his mind, refusing to be dominated by his instincts. Everything useless. Resigned he let himself slip along the log letting his legs stretch out on the ground on a soft cushion of moss while his back was against the trunk. For a moment he let his head fall back on the stump and he staring at the sky through the foliage of the trees, then he looked around to make sure no one had followed him and let his hands untie all the restrictions around his waist .

 

He hesitated a moment before letting his right hand slip inside of his clothes, to place it firmly around that painful piece of himself which at that time he was hating. At the first contact of his callused fingers with the smooth skin Thorin let out a hiss of anger, that contact was both pleasure and pain. Pleasure, because he was so excited that even the slightest touch would lead him at the peak, putting an end to that torture. Pain, because all he was doing represented a failure. Nevertheless he began to slide his hand up and down his cock, massaging the tip with delicate circular movements of his thumb. Thorin focused on the memories he had of his latest lover, a young red-haired dwarf met on the Blue Mountains, but all he could think of were the abundant and pale breasts he had seen the night before. Of all the images he sought to evoke in his mind only those of the she-hobbit could take away his breath, guiding his movements with the right rhythm.

 

All his life he had believed to be better than that. It was not the act itself that bothered him, it certainly was not the first (and would not be the last) time that he would resort to this kind of pleasures, but the awareness of not being able to stop to have no power about what was happening to him despite his strength of will. It made him feel sick to know that what he was doing was inspired by such a young girl, almost a child for dwarven standards. Even worse was the fact that all the images that came to his mind were so easily open to misinterpretation. He could not stop taking pleasure in thinking that the little moans, sighs and sobs that he had heard from the girl vaguely resembling those emitted by any virgin touched for the first time. Far away from him to think that the image of a terrified woman in tears was exciting, just the opposite if anything, but the idea of being the first to explore that little body to take it to ecstasy between pleasure and pain was just too tempting.

 

Somehow all this reminded him how much he was similar to his grandfather, a dwarf who had let himself be seduced so easily by a single precious gem. He was no better than his grandfather, not now that he had fallen to his knees literally with his hands in his trousers because of a pair of firm breasts and a pretty face. _'A pretty face? Under all that dirt and blood I'm not even sure if there really was a face. After that, with Dwalin who continued to act as a mother hen around her I have not even managed to se- .. '_ his thoughts stopped abruptly and to him it look like that with them had also stopped the frantic beat of his heart. How was it possible that he felt such a desire for a woman who he would not even recognize if he met her again right now? He clenched his teeth and stopped the movements of his hand for a moment, it was obvious that all of this could not be natural. "Whether he knows it or not the fault is all of that damned halfling" he found himself whispering.

 

Obviously, the rational part of his brain was aware of how unfair it was to blame Bilbo for something that was done without his knowledge, but all this was so humiliating for Thorin that somehow he wanted that the young girl felt just as miserable as him, even if only in his head. The exiled king began to imagine Bilbo as one of the most vulgar and horny whores he had ever seen in the city of men, tried to remember all the stories he had heard about them in the taverns in those same cities, because of course he (like every dwarf worthy of the name) had never stained his conscience by taking advantage of their services. But the pictures were not detailed enough and not very useful for the purpose for which they were created by Thorin mind. To imagine that the girl could be like those women rather than diminished his desires for her increased the urge that the dwarf had to protect her to prevent that anyone could do to her what he himself was imagining to do right now.

 

He knew it was wrong, that this was against everything that was right for him, but he did not stop imagine taking her roughly as his hand continued to give him pleasure with frantic movements. Suddenly a moan drew his attention, his head snapped forward with open and alert eyes. He nearly had a heart attack when he saw the totally naked she-hobbit astride on his legs, with her head pulled back and her back arched as she was riding him wildly. It took a little to realize that everything he was seeing was the fruit of his imagination (at this point he was simply too lost in pleasure to think of another explanation). The girl, in fact, seemed almost incorporeal and he could still distinctly feel the sensation of his hand that kept moving in his pants, despite to his eyes seemed that the whole lower part of his body was naked, and both his hands were on the hips of the little creature.

 

Thorin shrugged his shoulders _'Oh well ... I might as well take advantage of it'_ he simply thought, he closed his eyes and let his head fall back on the log. Having not yet given up his little, vile revenge he began to move even more rudely. Meanwhile, the details of the fantasy became more realistic. Gradually everything was increasingly sharp, the weight of the girl who was moving over him, the soft skin beneath his fingers, the wet heat of the small cave that was gently squeezing him, the sounds of their bodies. Everything was as it should be but at the same time it was all very wrong, he was feeling an immense pleasure that for some reason was unable to reach its peak.

 

He opened his eyes and she was still there looking up toward the sky, while continuing to move she was bobbing her breasts in front of Thorin's face. He sat up to reach with his mouth one of those nipples that he so desired and in moving he slid even deeper into her. A strangled hiss of pain made his blood run cold, he looked better at her and the guilt break his heart. Down her flushed cheeks were running thin streams of tears, her breathing was broken and erratic, every sound that she was emitting was of pain and she was smothered them as if she did not want him noticing, along the inside of her thighs and over his groin were small spots of blood diluted by their fluids but not enough to make believe that the girl had stopped bleeding.

 

Suddenly, as if she had sensed his discomfort, the head of the she-hobbit had leaped forward and now those huge eyes full of tears were looking directly into Thorin's soul. "Why are you doing this to me?" The girl's voice had slipped in his ear so sweetly that Thorin almost refused to believe that it was nothing more than a figment of his imagination, were it not for the heavy note of sadness and sorrow with which it was filled. "I'm not doing anything that you yourself do not want to do, look ... is only you that so voraciously welcoming me inside you, why should not I take advantage of it?" he whispered with a malicious smile. He did not know why he continued to be so stubbornly mean, it was just that he could not do without his pride even when the tears of the girl were fraying him inside.

 

The dwarf knew that the movements of the girl matched those of his hand, that she being part of that fantasy had no power over what was happening to her, just as it was for him with his desire for her. Thorin had achieved his purpose, he was humbling that fragile creature, it was not his intention to feel pleasure while she was suffering nevertheless for some reason he had not stopped to move her like a broken puppet. "Do you hate me so much? What have I done so wrong?" the girl hiccups while fat round tears had begun to flow down her face and then drip down from her chin to land on the dwarf's chest. Bilbo raised her arms from where they were dangling along her sides and buried her face into them while rivers of tears continued to scroll between her fingers, sobbing openly now that the exiled king had discovered her secret.

 

Something inside Thorin snapped at the sight of the desperate cry, why he was behaving that way? Why hate her? Why in the world he would have to hate her? It was not her that he hated but his weakness, the weakness that had materialized with her apparition. Before he knew it his movements froze and his arms were wrapped around Bilbo who continued to desperate sobbing into his chest. "Shh, shh ... do not cry ..... please .... I am sorry ..... I do not hate you, I swear" all the pride and the desire for revenge Thorin had vanished in front of the images that his conscience was forcefully giving him . Even if only a fantasy it was obvious that his mind was trying to send him a clear message, he could not get pleasure from the pain of someone else especially from that of this small and fragile creature.

 

"I do not hate you, i hate myself and my weaknesses. I can not feel what i feel for you, it is not fair to my One that i have not yet met. I can not desire you so much if you're not the other half of my soul" he whispered in her hair while with his hands he drew invisible circles on her back in an attempt to reassure her. Honestly, he did not know why suddenly i tried to justify himself with this girl who was the mere product of his mind, he was probably just making a conscientious examination and admitting why he was so annoyed by this new Bilbo. "I do not understand, how can you know that i am not your One? You do not even know me" managed to whisper the girl now that her sobs had ceased. "My soulmark did not react to your presence, plus my One must be either too young or must have embarked on its journey to the hall of Mandos when I was still too young to know love, otherwise i would be able to sense its presence everywhere in the world" he replied almost in disbelief that his mind was creating an image so ignorant of such basic notions.

 

The young girl pulled up her head and looked at him with eyes full of wonder and a glimmer of hope if Thorin had seen well. "You? .... You want me?" She asked in a voice barely audible while those wonderful eyes of innumerable shades of colors looked at those sky blue of the dwarf. The exiled king hesitated a moment before answering, "Why would not i? You are very beautiful ... your curves are very attractive" he said moving her slightly from his chest and then gently rest his huge left hand on her right breast. Bilbo visibly blushed at the compliment and looked away from him, she moaned softly biting her lower lip at the contact of their skins. Thorin came over with his mouth at her ear to whisper "It would make me very happy if you wanted to do me the honor to experience pleasure with me" in a low, hoarse voice before taking her earlobe between his lips and sucked it gently. His seduction attempt was rewarded with a shudder of the girl's body who brought her to shake her hips involuntarily as her inner muscles tightened and loosened rhythmically around his penis a few times.

 

Thorin almost climaxed at that moment was so sublime feeling that the body of the girl was accepting him so willingly. He could not figure out how much of this was fantasy or reality, not that it was important of course, now that he was lost in that paradise. Taken by an irresistible impulse to show off his strength and virility (all in all a natural instinct for a 'alpha' male so to speak), in a sense he wanted to dominate her, he grabbed her hips back and began to move frantically inside her. The girl let out a little cry of fright, "No ... not this way, please ... i do not like it" she whimpered as she tried to wriggle from his grasp. Those simple words were enough to drain all the pleasure that Thorin was feeling leaving him still as stone, that _'I do not like it'_ continued to echo in the dwarf's mind for a few moments before he regained control of himself.

 

What fantasy was this? Why he felt compelled to please a being who was not even real? Like anyone else, even to him it had happened to find satisfaction even where his partner was left unsatisfied (not that it was his habit to be a selfish lover), but now it was as if everything depended on the feelings experienced by this little dreamlike creature. The thought that this was exactly how it was described by his father the feeling of having sex with his own One was quickly put aside and replaced by the search for ways to bring pleasure to Bilbo.

 

"Forgive me my lady, I did not mean to scare you," he told her as he took her face in his hands to force her to look into his eyes, the girl did not seem to catch the light note of mockery in his voice and blushed even more conspicuously. "We dwarves are for impetuous and passionate nature, but if that does not suit you ... you can decide the pace and intensity of our union" Bilbo look at him with wide eyes and opened and closed her mouth several times but no sound came out while the king slid his calloused hands up and down her curvy hips. "Please, show me how to make you enjoy this .... my lady," he encourage her leaving a trail of small wet kisses that started from behind her ear right up to her breasts. Bilbo remained motionless for a few moments, when the lips of Thorin closed around one of her nipples a soft moan of pleasure left her lips and she instinctively arched her back to seek more contact.

 

That delicious moan was followed by many others as the girl kept moving sinuously over him. Initially, her movements were slow and uncertain, then more and more confident, more and more intense and fast. Throughout his life Thorin had never experienced anything like this, was it a dream or reality, as if until then he had never really known the pleasure to join another being. When his orgasm hit him it was as if a lightning had passed through his body, it was so sudden and great that he almost wanted to cry at the thought that his semen was not really flooding the womb of the small and beautiful creature who now was looking at him with the awareness of what had just happened inside her. When the image of the girl began to fade, to lose substance exactly as it was at the beginning of all this he greeted her with a tired but happy smile before she vanished altogether.

 

Thorin woke with a start, at some point while he was touching himself he had fallen asleep and the fantasy had begun. He looked around and realized that probably it was not long since he had been away from the camp, in fact fortunately no one had come looking for him. He still had his hand in his pants and a not very pleasant sensation of damp confirmed what had happened under the layers of fabric. With a grunt somewhere between annoyed and resigned the exiled king proceeded to compose himself to return to the camp. While walking Thorin thought back to how detailed it was the face he had seen in his imagination, the color and the shape of the eyes and skin, the smooth curves of the lips and nose, how his mind could create such a perfect symphony? and how he could face the she-hobbit now without comparing her to the nymph of his dream?

 

Fortunately, aside from the ever-present moodiness of the dwarf Thorin felt significantly more relaxed. Somehow now he was no longer on the brink of a precipice ready to sink under his feet even though his desire for the young girl had just died down, it had not vanished entirely, and this disturbed him deeply. The young king was roused from his meditation by a sudden sharp cry from the ruined farm, no doubt the voice belonged to the little she-hobbit and before he realize it Thorin was running at the limit of its possibilities towards the camp. A thousand things could have happened, a thousand thoughts traversed his mind and all of them in some way included a miserable future for the girl and everyone was like a stab in the heart for the dwarf. In less than no time Thorin found himself in the middle of the camp with his heart in his throat, and breathing hard with his sword drawn ready to to tear apart whoever was threatening her, but all he found was a little she-hobbit completely panicked encircled by dwarves trying to calm her down.

 

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Sara had let herself melt in the embrace of this unknown and to her surprise (and shame) it was as if nobody had ever hugged her before. Even the loving embrace of her parents seemed artifacts and sterile compared to the heat of the body that was now enveloping her, as if she had never really been in contact with another living being. For all her life she have believed that in her there was something very wrong, something that prevented her to let go and so she had given up to show her affection physically, she had even accepted the fact that perhaps she could never fall in love and have a family on her own. It was all so strange, suddenly she found herself in the middle of that camp, in which obviously she would not have to be, and she had never felt more at ease.

 

From the beginning this so threatening and powerful man had done nothing but be nice to her, showing her how sometimes appearances can be deceiving. See the sad look of Dwalin as he stared at the spot where Thorin had vanished into the woods had tortured her heart, then his reaction to her touch had really worried her. Fortunately everything was solved in big laughs and a hug. Once free from those ridiculously muscled arms Sara leaned forward to put a chaste kiss on Dwalin's cheek whose face colored scarlet making him look like a big cuddly teddy bear. While Dwalin and Sara were exchanging a silent look of complicity the whole camp burst into a symphony of joyful encouragement and fake scandalized sighs leaving the two completely astonished.

 

As soon as all the fuss and the laughter ended, thanks to Balin who had somehow brought his companions to sobriety, Oin approached her and after inspecting her wounds he made her lie down and covered her up to her chin with the fur/blanket. The man looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, but not knowing how to make himself understood by the girl he just folded his hands as if to pray, then he put them on one of his cheeks and closing his eyes as he pretended to snore. The message was very clear: _'You have to sleep'_. Leaving aside the turbulent beginnings and the strange behavior of Thorin, all of them were nice and full of consideration for her, now that she no longer felt in danger and that Dwalin seemed to have all intentions to stay beside her, it did not take much for her to fall soundly asleep.

 

Pain, shame, fear, hope, curiosity, pleasure, ecstasy. Sara awoke gasping awakened by the gentle touch of Dwalin who now was watching her with a look of concern. What kind of a dream had ever been that? Since when she had that kind of desires? Instinctively she clutched her hands between her legs and curled up in a fetal position, earning a worried grunt from Dwalin who was now practically lying on his side next to her so that he could look directly in her face. With her fingers she explored in the surrounding area of her private parts as if to confirm that indeed that unwanted intrusion had never taken place, that dream had been so realistic that for a moment she was not entirely sure of that. She breathed a sigh of relief in confirming that 'everything was in place' but blushed like a tomato at the memory of what her mind had created.

 

Though actually, more than true and proper physical sensations everything she had felt it had been purely platonic, as if everything that had happened to her in the dream had happened directly to her soul and not to her body, as if in the dream did not exist the five senses but only the electrical impulses they send to the brain. _'Just look, if I have to make philosophical arguments on synapses, right now'_ she scolded herself mentally as she sat up as her every move was followed by the bald man. Looking around she realized that it must be about noon, and all of them were beginning to get ready for lunch. Sara started to get up but for some reason her body did not seem to want to obey her commands with precision. After a couple of clumsy failed attempts Dwalin took the situation in hand and pulled her up from the pallet putting her standing and making sure she was firmly on her feet before letting go.

 

When Dwalin was sure she would not ruinously fall on the ground he stepped away and that was when Sara had time to carefully examine her body. A hobbit, her body was that of a HOBBIT. It was obvious that she was wearing the blouse of someone of the company, which was large enough to look like a dress on her and she could feel that she was naked underneath. Her whole body was small and round and big downy feet were attached to her ankles. Before she could think of anything else a terrorized scream left her throat, followed by a ^What shit is this?^ Pronounced in what little Khuzdul that she was able to learn and that she had made a habit to use only to curse when she was frustrated. She waded around and realized that those who were now looking at her with wide eyes with a mixture of concern and astonishment were not _'men'_ but _'dwarves'_ if the difference between their height and the one who presumably had to be Gandalf (who now was watching her while standing he towered over all the others even from a remote corner of the camp) could say something.

 

While her eyes darted from face to face the girl panicked and began to hyperventilate. What did it all mean? How was it possible that with her there were real dwarfs? Dwalin approached her worried and completely shocked that she had spoken in their secret language, ^Breathe, little one^ he said in Khuzdul hoping she could understand it, but the girl did not seem to want to hear and when he tried to reassure her laying a hand on her shoulder she dodged his touch and staggered towards the center of the camp. Nori, Gloin, Dori and Oin encircled her in an attempt to keep her from hurting herself somehow being so distraught, while Dwalin was trying to approach her order to calm her down.

 

Everything began to spin around her, she moved staggered aimlessly around looking like an animal in a trap too confused to appreciate the misguided attempt of the dwarves to support her standing while everything she was managing was passing from hand to hand like the crazy ball of a pinball. All images of what had happened to her began to flow into her mind as she tried somehow to escape the ring of dwarves that had been created around her. The memories you leave home to go to the cosplay the laughter and games in the car mingled with the worried face of Glóin, the incident and the desperate faces of her friends danced around the face of Dori, the blurred shadows that held her to the ground between fear and pain were projected on Oin's face, the relief of being safe again were nothing more than the sad look in the eyes of Dwalin.

 

Somehow she managed to slip from their grasp but ends up crashing into a wall of muscles and clothes that grunted little pleased to the impact while his strong hands grabbed her painfully by the shoulders. Raising her face she saw them, those two wonderful sapphires that only minutes before in her dream had filled her heart with thousand emotions and her eyes filled with tears. Thorin Oakenshield was there before her, the real Thorin not just any nerd in disguise, this fantasy world had somehow materialized around her and this terrified her. This was a medieval world full of monsters in which magic was real and everything could happen to her, then she realized what all this might mean, <<I died for real then>> she whispered almost breathless before becoming a dead weight in the hands of the king in exile.

 

###

 

~~**"You failed mage, you said that the girl would never have existed in this world"** ~~ hissed the shadow that hovered between crumbling walls and falling towers. A black halo narrowed and dilated around the austere figure of a tall man wrapped in a dark cloak. He could feel the anger, the prickly feeling of disgust that the _'creature'_ felt toward him (feelings amply reciprocated by the mage, to put it mildly). Every time that the dark soul, that resembled incorporeal slender fingers moving like ink in the water, clung on him menacingly the magician remained motionless his face a pale, expressionless mask as he repeated to himself _'patience is the virtue of the strong, soon will come my time and the world will bow in front of my foresight '_. "My lord, the spell that I threw is among the most ancient and powerful who hesitate, it is said that 'Using magic there is no way to conceive all the possible consequences' the more ancient is the spell the more it is true this sentence" replied the mage without his expression revealed any emotion.

 

~~**"This does not change that you failed"**~~ whispered venomously in his ear the shadow. "My Lord, there is no reason to worry about the girl. Dwarves are a fierce race in every aspect of their lives .... the body and soul of Thorin Oakenshield are not prepared for the presence of the girl in this world, it is very likely that he will end up killing her or one of his companions, or to take her forcibly, and maybe it will be she herself who will take away her life when everything it will be done .... in any case everything would turn to our advantage" said the mage with an amused tone but again his expression not betrayed the slightest sign that in that figure there was a soul of any kind. ~~**"'Very likely', 'maybe'**~~ **....** ~~ **those are words that do not attract my attention, now go away your presence is no longer required, I have already ordered Azog to correct your mistakes. I should have known better than trust of your kind**~~ **....** ~~ **Go back to watch over the lands of men, returns to play with your puppets"**~~ with this the shadow vanished without leaving nothing but dust and inanimate ruins.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know ...... Yes, Thorin does not know what he wants or what he should not want, and the plot seems a mess but I promise that in the next two chapters everything will be much clearer. Yes, Sara is terrified from being in Middle Earth even without the fact that she died in her world. Honestly, i find a little strange these girls who wake up in Arda and go around as if it were the most natural thing in the world like 'Oh look I ended up in a book. Never mind, I delight to do the heroine of the day '. What do you say? I have a wrong way of seeing things?  
> Sorry for the delay in posting but I have been very indaffaratacon my university tests, I am also sorry that probably the next chapter will not be ready before the start of October. Bey Bey


	5. Friends?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, I'm back here to publish a new chapter ^ _ ^. I'm really sorry for taking so long but I've had a bad time so I was not able to write. the next chapter is work in progress but I do not know when I will be able to publish it, sorry T_T. As usual, I apologize for spelling errors and I hope you enjoy reading, bye bey.

* * *

 

**Languages:**

"Westron" ; * Elvish * ; ^dwarvish^ ; [Sign language, dwarvish] ; << real world>> ; ** ~~" black speech "~~** ; _'Thoughts or mental communications'_

 

* * *

 

Thorin tried to contain the moan of pleasure that the impact against his chest of that small and so soft little body had made him feel, but unintentionally he gave a strangled grunt actually. Instinctively he grabbed Bilbo by the shoulders, it was not his intention to hurt her, but his grip tightened involuntarily around that delicate flesh for fear that the she-hobbit would slip out of his hand. Fortunately the ruler had had enough time to sheathe his sword before Bilbo swoop down on him. When she lift her face and stared him straight in the eyes, for a moment, Thorin believed to be paralyzed. Everything was exactly the same as how he had imagined it, from the shape of the lips to the last delicate and long eyelashes, face of his nymph was in front of his and a new wave of desire (if possible even wilder of the previous) swept through him.

 

He wanted to hold her so as not to let her go anymore, but the eyes of the young girl filled with tears and her body began to tremble. Just enough time for a few words in that language incomprehensible to him that Bilbo was unconscious sustained standing only by his grip on her little shoulders, never before in his life he had felt so much terror in a voice. All his desire was transformed instantly into pure fury, hatred perhaps, although at the thought of hating her he felt his entrails curl up on themselves. Why she had to be so much afraid of him? Why she had to reject him so vehemently? Why he had to want her so much? Not even in his dream she had accepted him, initially she had granted herself to him only because forced and after that she probably had only surrendered to the inevitable. Thorin released His grip on the girl making her fall to the ground unceremoniously, then stepped back and looked at her with disgust "Oin make her regain consciousness and able to travel, in a couple of hours we set out" he said with a cold voice that was devoid of any kindness, then he sat down by the fire to eat.

 

At that behavior the whole company was appalled, no one could understand why Thorin was acting in this way, let alone they were able to accept treatment that their king was reserving to a woman. For the first time in his life Dwalin wanted to punch (to hurt and not to play) his best friend. Fortunately at that time the warrior was too busy to take care of the frail creature, the beating of Thorin at the hands of an improvised older brother would have to wait. Balin, on the other hand, did not seem so willing to let go of what had happened and took place near Thorin with every intention of making him come to his senses, obviously Gandalf had already preceded him.

 

Once sitting in front of the fire with the stew in hand Thorin involuntarily turned to look toward the unconscious maiden. Dwalin was sitting cross-legged and the she-hobbit was lying on them almost as if she had been placed in a cradle. The arms of the dwarf held up her shoulders and knees so that, once awake, she was not able to slam somewhere if panicked. Oin supported her head with one hand as he passed a small vial under her nose. When the young woman regained consciousness she looked around disoriented and began to fidget but as soon as her gaze crossed with that of Dwalin the little creature laced her slender arms around the dwarf's neck buried her face on his shoulder and letting herself to be quietly comforted by the warrior. Thorin was so taken by observing how that little body was relaxing in the arms of the bald dwarf that he did not notice the presence of Balin and Gandalf until the first did not attract his attention by tapping impatiently with his foot on the ground.

 

Finding himself under the accusatory gaze of Balin and Gandalf the King turned his attention from the couple and let out an annoyed sigh. "What's now? Why are you looking at me like I had just torn off the heart from the chest of an infant?" he said with a voice full of anger, but in fact, as much as that image was creepy it was in that way that they were watching him. "My dear boy, there is a particular reason for which you think is justified to throw on the ground a wounded and unconscious girl?" Balin began to rebuke him, while he was trying with all his heart to keep his voice calm although he was deeply disturbed by the behavior of the one who had been his student from an early age. "I did not throw her to the ground .. I just-" the king tried to defend himself without much conviction but was quickly interrupted by the elder dwarf , "You let her fall, knowing that she could have get more injured " the voice of Balin, always so kind and fatherly, now was stern and cold and somehow managed to intimidate even Thorin who felt compelled to look down in shame.

 

"I was your mentor ever since you have been able to lift your first ax, I know you're better than that ... Why the presence of this girl afflicts you so much?" now the voice of Balin was almost a kind supplication full of sadness. Thorin's heart broke to hear those words, if Balin had known to what extent the desire for this girl had pushed his mind what he would think of him? _'I pretty much dreamed of making her mine forcing myself on her, what he would think of this? He would spit in my face, that's what '_. "These have been hard days for everyone, it just bothers me that the girl is even less useful to us than it was the halfling" he said, shaking his shoulders. Cruel words, not quite a lie, always better than to bare his shame. "Useful or not you know that women are sacred in our culture, I do not say that you have to get along with her but you must avoid to provide her additional physical wounds. The company is quite dissatisfied with your behavior before and my 'little brother' seems to have every intention to skin you if you get too close" said this he took his stew and went to sit next to Dori.

 

The words of Balin instinctively his attention turned back to the couple, now Dwalin was standing and the girl was sitting elegantly on her calves and was smiling sweetly at the warrior. Dwalin walked away after a momentof hesitation leaving the girl to look around with frightened eyes but curious. The attention of the young woman was attracted to something and the little creature down on all fours on the pallet and reached out her hand as if to grab the focus of her interest. Only to see the girl in that position to Thorin seemed to going crazy but he tried to calm his desire biting the inside of his cheek, hoping that the pain would help him. Almost immediately the girl sat back down and crossed her arms clutching the wide collar of the blouse she was wearing, her eyes darting everywhere except on the bonfire, and her face had taken a ruddy complexion. The young king was initially confused by that behavior until he saw that straight in front of the girl there was Dori who was making a lecture to Ori who for some reason (which Thorin suspected had something to do with two beautiful breasts) was as red as a tomato.

 

"Is that all?" The voice of Gandalf startled him, for some reason he had thought that the wizard had moved away along with Balin. "What do you mean Tharkûn?" he asked, extremely irritated by the wizard's tone. "Are you sure that there are no deeper reasons for your bad mood? You do not feel any sort of interest in the girl?" Gandalf asked, almost whispering as if he was aware that in some way the question was embarrassing for the dwarf. "I have no idea of what you are referring. Except for her uselessness the presence of that girl leaves me indifferent" he said through clenched teeth, the wizard eyed him suspiciously as if he could read the lie behind his words but then gave him an amused smile," Mmmm ... Well , it's better that way. "

 

"Just because I find useful to you knowing about it ... what happened to our dear hobbit is definitely the result of a powerful spell but I assure you that it is only he who having been affected by it, there is no reason to think that the behavior of other members of the company it may be affected " at those words Thorin nodded but could not hide his concern, however he tried to prevent the wizard noticing it more than necessary. Knowing full well that the king in exile had not been completely honest Gandalf tried to offer him a hope, a way out. "In any case it is possible that, as a side effect, a spell will set in motion forces that is not easy to understand, so I'd prefer you and the others to inform me of any 'inconvenience' that a female presence may cause ..." Gandalf looked towards Ori then to Fili and Kili ".. especially to the youngest of you" he added with a wink before retiring definitely amused by the expression of complete astonishment on Thorin's face.

 

The wizard words had troubled him deeply, if the spell had nothing to do with his state of mind then there was something wrong with him. The only stories that came in his mind were those of dwarfs, which brought almost to madness by the desire because of a rejection, had reached the point of kidnapping their One in order to force them to fall in love, unproductive gesture seen that despite sharing the same soul there is no guarantee of falling in love with each other (thanks to an ancient curse placed on the race of dwarves). The king continued his meal trying to think what to do, leaving aside that thought almost amused that the idea of having found his One was even remotely flashed through his mind. After all it was unlikely, if not practically impossible, that a dwarf could find the other half of himself outside of his race. Still he had to force himself to avoid looking toward Dwalin and Bilbo because certainly the last thing he wanted to deal with was the anger of his dearest friend (another reason to resent Bilbo added to the list). After the initial dense silence of embarrassment the meal went on not much differently than usual, except for the bald warrior who was basically feeding little creature, and everyone had returned more or less in a good mood.

 

###

 

Sara was awakened by a pungent odor of spices that was forcefully entered into her nostrils. Initially she could not focus on the things around her, and panicked began to struggle against the arms that were retaining her , but when the worried face of Dwalin began to take shape in front of her the reality of the situation in which she stood was too much to handle. The young girl throw her arms around the mighty warrior's neck and began to cry dejected. All this was too real to be a dream, but how could it be real? What did it all mean? Sara hated not have answers to these questions, and swore to herself that she would find them.

 

Dwalin shifted her gently so he could look at her and smiled softly while moving a strand of hair from her face. The giant dwarf laid her carefully on the pallet and then set about to get up and move away. Before he was out of reach Sara was on her knees and grabbed him by the trousers in a desperate attempt to hold him back. <<Where are you going?>> She asked worriedly when he looked dazed by the gesture. ^Eating^ he said simply having somehow understood the meaning of her question. Sara did not know much Khuzdul but fortunately she knew this word, so she settled the fabric of the blouse she was wearing so that it would cover as much as possible of her body and then sat down on her calves and put her hands on her thighs, straightening well her back in the best imitation of a geisha sitting at a tea table that she was able to make.

 

Dwalin look at her a bit puzzled but she simply pointed to the fire with a gentle wave of his hand, encouraging him to continue doing what he started with a small smile. She did not know if the dwarves were going to waste more resources on her (most likely not, since the disgust that had been addressed to her from their leaders). It was not said that these dwarfs were identical to the characters created by Tolkien but in any case they were quite hospitable, especially Dwalin, and she had no intention of disturbing them more than necessary. The dwarf hesitated for only a moment, then walked to the comrades around the fire.

 

Sara looked around a little shaken by everything that had happened, she was not entirely convinced that this was not all a figment of her imagination. _'Denying reality will not lead me anywhere, I have to find a way to return home or to wake up as soon as possible if this is a dream ... Meanwhile, since I'm here it's better to play along'_ she mentally gathered her courage. Now that she was much less panicky everything began to take a different appearance, all around her seemed so vivid and colorful. Nothing had ever appeared to her more real than this world of fantasy. It was as if her body had awakened from a long slumber, on second thought she no longer felt that repulsion at contact which had accompanied her throughout life. It did not take long for her brain to examine the facts and draw conclusions. _'Bilbo can not be see nowhere and no one seems willing to go look for him + I'm a hobbit + they have addressed me with the name Bilbo = for some absurd reason I became Bilbo'_ the course of her thoughts did not seem logical at all but incidentally at the moment there was not much that made sense.

 

She continued to observe the forest that surrounded her, purposely avoiding to look in the direction of the dwarves. Probably they would not have left her in the middle of nowhere but she was not going to irritate them watching them eat (behavior that she herself found quite annoying). The local flora was much like that which can be found in northern Europe, everything around her was a mixture of beeches and evergreens, ferns and shrubs on which sprouted a wide variety of flowers. By the variety of colors and scents that were invading her senses Sara estimated that it had to be late spring, possibly early summer. On the ground in the clearing the grass was short and sparse but still green and it allowed to glimpse a dark and fertile land.

 

Her gaze was caught by a small bush of wild primroses, among the dark green leaves sticking out four small white flowers with a center of bright orange that faded almost immediately into snow-white petals. The sight of these delicate flowers surprised her a bit, she did not expect that a so fragile blossoms had survived the heavy boots of the dwarves camped all around. At the sight of that little miracle floral her heart skipped a beat. Since childhood for some reason she had loved the nature almost obsessively and had learned the use and meaning of most plants that were possible to her, _'A very appropriate thing for a hobbit if you think about it'_ she thought, chuckling softly to herself. _'The primroses are a symbol of rebirth, of hope, and for the most romantic of the first true love. Aside for the last statement these flowers seem almost a sign of destiny'_ that thought did run a little shiver down her back, it was certainly not her dream to be reborn as a character in a book, but deep in her heart in some ways this sounded like a possible answer to many of her questions.

 

<< Yeah, right, and then what? I will fall in love with that barbarian? >> she whispered almost amused, even if unintentionally whit the corner of her eye now she was watching Thorin which in turn was looking at her. What she saw in the eyes of the dwarf frightened her to death, so she immediately turned her attentions on the small white flowers. Thorin was scanning her with a mixture of desire and anger, a fought and violent feeling. She was not sure of being able to adapt to a similar interaction with him, disgust and intolerance would be easy to manage but this was different. What frightened her most was that strange urge of acceptance that was growing inside her. Sara wanted to be noticed and appreciated by that individual to her totally foreign, for the first time in her life she really cared what someone else thought of her and she could not understand why.

 

With the intention to get distracted from her thoughts she focused on the primroses in front of her. With mixed feelings she gets down on all fours on the pallet and reach out to touch them. It seemed a shame to pick them up but she did not want anyone to trample them inadvertently. When she was about to reach them the wide collar of the blouse she was wearing slipped off her shoulder discovering nearly half of her torso. Before she could put back the cloth she heard someone coughing like he was choking, she looked up and straight in front of her, she saw Ori who was watching her with wide eyes and a bit of stew dripped from his lips upon his beard. Initially the young dwarf seemed dazed, while a worried Dori gave him pats on the back and encouraged him to breathe, then when he realized that the girl was looking at him his face flushed and he looked away embarrassed. It took the shocked gaze of Dori leaping from her to Ori and his mouth wide open in a grimace of disbelief for Sara to understand what had happened.

 

Almost immediately Sara sat back on her calves and crossing her arms over her breast clutching the wide collar of the blouse she was wearing. She felt her face burning and desperately tried not to make eye contact with anyone. Although she did not consider herself a prude, she remained extremely embarrassing to be so exposed in front of strangers. _'Why, since I woke up I have done nothing but put myself in these situations? Why I can not keep my clothes on?'_ She thought lowering her face and holding back two small tears of frustration. After all, until now no one had ever seen her completely naked. In a bathing suit or underwear? Certainly. Naked in the presence of someone? Absolutely not. It was years that even to her mother was forbidden to interfere in her most intimate moments. While mulling over how miserable was her life in that moment, she could hear Dori scolding (because from the tone could not be other than a lecture) poor Ori. She decided to keep her head down, barely breathing in an attempt to emit less noise as possible, hoping that her presence would pass unnoticed from then on.

 

While praying that some merciful deity would allow the ground to open up beneath her in order to swallow her forever and spare her more embarrassing moments, two heavy leather boots finished with fur and metal studs posted themselves in front of her. Looking up, Sara found herself surmounted by the enormous figure of Dwalin, initially with the sun behind him he had appeared to her as a huge dark shadow but as soon as her eyes had adjusted to the light there had not take long for her to recognize the friendly face. _'Friend? Who knows if I can really consider him my friend. Maybe he's just following orders or maybe he just feels pity for me'_. The girl's thoughts had an abrupt halt when she realized what was holding in his hand the warrior.

 

The dwarf was standing in front of her with two wooden bowls in hand and a gentle smile on his face. With a grace almost impossible, given his size, he sat down cross-legged in front of the girl and handed her what looked like stew. At first Sara observed him a bit confused, then when her stomach made a noise like a roar she realized that in fact had been offered food to her. ^Eating^ he repeated lifting the bowl, which Sara was looking at as if it would attack her at any moment, almost to under her nose. The girl stretch her hands to grab the bowl and was amazed by how it looked large in her hands compared to those of Dwalin. Had she changed completely? There was still something that was familiar to her in that body? At that thought a sad and resigned expression was painted on her face.

 

Dwalin watched the little she-hobbit for a few minutes, unsure of how to get her to eat. That so helpless little creature was watching the stew bowl as if it was a threat and did not seem to have any intention of eating, although her stomach had made loudly notice how hungry she was. The delicate female was watching the bowl with a so worried expression that nearly the dwarf had thought that the hobbits had some psychic bond with nature that would allow them to communicate with wood and that somehow the dish had offended or warned her on its content. Out of the blue a thought crossed his mind, _'Could it be that she thinks that we want to poison or drug her? For what purpose? Why should we want her meek ...'_ Dwalin's eyes widened in surprise when he realized that given the tale of how the boys had made acquaintance with her, in fact there was a plausible reason (at least for girl ) for which they might want to keep her alive and the more collaborative it was possible. A shiver of disgust mixed with anger passed over his back but he repressed it fearing that the she-hobbit could be frightened by his reaction.

 

Sara was awakened from her thoughts when a metal spoon slid gently into her bowl. Looking up she saw while Dwalin was approaching an abundant spoonful of soup to his mouth, and slowly savoring it. The dwarf held his spoon in his mouth and with the the same hand, now free, he handed her another spoon. Smiling with closed lips so as not to drop the piece of metal He made a expression as if to say: _See? It's good, it is not poisoned_. She blushed (again) realizing that her meditation on the changes of her body had been interpreted as a lack of trust towards the dwarves. Indeed the thought that the stew could be drugged had crossed her mind but as far as these dwarfs were unknown to her she felt strangely safe with them (except for Thorin towards which she felt a mixture of fear, resentment and desire ) and thus she came to the conclusion that at most the food could contain some medicinal or sedative herb that would have done nothing but good to her. The idea that they wanted to poison her was simply ridiculous, why waste food when they practically brought with them the equivalent of a steel mill in arms. No, if they had wanted to kill her it would be useless to deceive her. With a dagger or even bare hands even the weakest of them would not have take more than a few minutes to break her life.

 

She picked up the spoon and a bit hesitant plunged it in the broth. She stirred the contents of the bowl for a few seconds, inhaling the warm scent that rose from the moved liquid. For what she could see in the stew as well as pieces of meat (most likely rabbit) there were potatoes, carrots and chickpeas. She smiled when she realized that there was no sign of green ingredients, _'maybe they are not so different from the characters of the book'_ she chuckling involuntarily. But again at the thought of being in a fantasy world a deep anxiety nestled viciously in her mind. Would she share the same fate of Persephone if she had eaten the food of that world? Would she be able to go home after all this? As far as this body was so welcoming and everything around her seemed to be at the right place for the first time in her life was it right to robbing Bilbo of his place in this world? What would the real Bilbo do? Was it correct to assume that, if she would remain in that body, perhaps the spirit of the poor hobbit would fade? The smile disappeared replaced by the sadness that was wrapping her. She dropped the spoon and put the bowl wrapped in her hands on her lap, without any intention to eat now that her anxiety had dozed off the pangs of hunger.

 

When the graceful creature abandoned all pretense of interest in food that she was holding in her hands, while sadness took hold of her face, Dwalin had a moment of panic. What would he do if Bilbo was trying to leave starve herself? Force her to eat did not seem a good idea, it would only frighten her more. The warrior watched the girl for a few minutes then with a resigned sigh he put aside his lunch and began to feed she-hobbit. Initially for the dwarf it was very difficult to take in hand the spoon to bring it closer to the mouth of the girl, who was so immersed in her misery that she seemed to be not unaware of what was surrounding her. Surely among all components of the company Dwalin was the least suitable to act as a nanny (if you could consider any of the dwarves suited to the role anyway), this situation was extremely embarrassing but the bald dwarf braced himself and began his task. After an initial refusal of the first spoonfuls she opened her mouth and let the warrior make her swallow nearly half the bowl before she was mentally lucid enough to be able to feed herself.

 

It was obvious that having reserved her those attentions was embarrassing for the poor Dwalin and Sara felt terribly guilty about it. Of course, once she was able to calm the storm of thoughts that was raging in her head, the girl had felt extremely grateful for that so sadly necessary gesture. They continued to eat in silence, a comforting and peaceful silence. During the meal the dwarf continued to keep an eye on her, making sure that she did not stop to eat. Several times by the company rose subdued laughter and comments (probably teasing) to which Dwalin answered sharply and with an angry tone, but amused at the same time . The fact of not being able to understand the conversation bothered her but since her 'protector' seemed to be more embarrassed than annoyed she decided to simply stand aside. Indeed, the communication was a problem to be solved: She knew little or nothing of Khuzdul (nothing that could be useful in a civil conversation in any case). The language she had heard their using was probably the common language, although Tolkien had clearly defined it, in films and books it was replaced with english for convenience so she had never even dreamed of learning it. She knew pretty well Sindarin (she had learned it in the hope of impressing David) but she doubted that the dwarves were interested in learning an elven language so her only opportunity to communicate was with Gandalf.

 

As if he had read in her mind the wizard approached the couple and took a seat next to Dwalin, in front of the girl who watched them uncertain. "How is it going with our friend?" asked the wizard after observing the girl for a moment. "It seems that the wounds are healing well, she is still a bit in shock and does not understand a word of what we say .." the dwarf paused a moment to think well about how to finish that sentence, "... well, at least it would seem she does not understand, since I heard her cursing in a flawless Khuzdul" he added, chuckling at th memory of that fragile creature while she used a language so foul. Gandalf let himself be dragged in the moment of hilarity, and in turn he let a smile to disperse in his thick beard then watching the girl, who was now desperately trying to maintain eye contact with Dwalin, he turned to the dwarf playfully "It seems that she is quite fond of you". "Sincerely? I do not understand why. Usually the delicate creatures like her are so afraid of me that I do not even have time to open my mouth before they are already run away screaming" Dwalin leaned a hand forward and placed it gently on the cheek of the she-hobbits in response she closed her eyes and sat her face in his calloused palm accepting the caress with a smile, "But she is different. She is not afraid of me, she trusted me immediately and I intend to repay that trust".

 

"So you decided to become her protector?" asked the sorcerer as the two eventually release from their caress. "I decided to protect her as long as is necessary and even further if my king will allow me" answered the dwarf inflating his chest proudly. He would never admitted that at the moment he would go against Thorin's wishes in order to protect Bilbo. To be honest he had the feeling that the greatest danger for her was the young king, although he still could not understand the reasons behind the hatred of his friend toward the girl. Those who Dwalin saw in Thorin's eyes were feeling totally alien to the personality of the dwarf that he had learned to respect and love as a brother in the long years of their friendship. The warrior turned and watched the king for some time.Thorin seemed immersed in his thoughts almost oblivious to his surroundings, then Dwalin turned back to the wizard when he asked him, with appallingly serious expression, "Would you defend her even against those you love? .... answer me simply with yes or no, I am not interested to quibble about the loyalty and honor of the dwarves". Dwalin was taken aback by the sudden change of attitude of the man, 'Damn ... this old goat knows something about this girl and do not want to tell us' he thought gritting his teeth with pursed lips. he wanted to make the wizard aware of his thoughts, but not being a fool he repressed his anger and replied in a crystal clear voice "Yes".

 

Sara watch them talk and when it seemed that the conversation was over she put her hand on the long sleeve of Gandalf's robes and gave some gentle tug on the fabric. The gesture immediately attracted the attention of the wizard and consequently that of the dwarf, they observed her doubtful for some moments as if they expected that she might fly away at any moment. The girl was about to speak but the words died in her mouth. How could she start that conversation? What would be the best choice of words? Sara realized that she had not the slightest clue where to start from, and then she let the question that was bothering her the most to slip out from her lips. *Mi ... Mithrandir? Are you the real Mithrandir? ... Am i in Middle-earth? Is it all this real?* she said with a shaky voice in a sindarin with an accent a bit strange but no errors. She was distracted from her insecurities by the sudden bursting of a guttural laugh that melodiously was spreading from the gray pilgrim's chest. *Oh, my dear child, we have so much to talk about ... And the answer to all your questions is yes* he said softly trying to reassure the confused girl.

 

She flashed her eyes from the wizard to Dwalin who was watching them confused and worried, obviously uncomfortable in being excluded from the conversation. ^Dwalin, me, friend?^ she said taking the big hands of the dwarf in her, deliberately using his native language to emphasize her words. ^Always^ was all the warrior said, and although she did not know that word Sara perceived through his gentle smile that in fact he considered her a friend. Gandalf looked at them for a few moments, *I can translate if you want to learn more about Master Dwalin* he said giggling and finally added *What is your name, my dear? It would be nice to be able to use the right name ... to begin with*. Sara smiled embarrassed by her lack of manners *I'm sorry. I did not mean to be so rude, my name is S -... is Sa ... Sss* before she could finish the sentence she began to cough violently. Great astonishment she realized that she could not get the word out of her mouth, despite she was trying with all herself, it was as if every syllable was trying to choke her. Gandalf and Dwalin were immediately at her side *Are you all right dear?* asked her the wizard but she shook her head and put her hands to her throat. She lifted her face and with eyes beaded with tears provocatele by coughing she whisper * B ... Bilbo ... my name is Bilbo *.

 


	6. The other half of a soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, I hope your natalizzie holidays are going well and I apologize for having boulder time to publish the new chapter. The story is taking a different turn from what I had imagined but I hope it is still interesting. This chapter will give some explanations. I hope you enjoy reading, see you soon.

* * *

 

**Languages:**

"Westron" ; * Elvish * ; ^dwarvish^ ; [Sign language, dwarvish] ; << real world>> ; ** ~~" black speech "~~** ; _'Thoughts or mental communications'_

 

* * *

 

Sara did not understand, why she could not pronounce her own name? Why everything that came out of her mouth was Bilbo's name? Yet she was not feeling different, she was still Sara, the asocial and chubby nerd who likes Anime and singing under the shower. She remembered all her life and all her friends, could sense that all that had changed about her was physical. Also this renewed empathy with the world was only physical. Gandalf looked at her with a mixture of concern and curiosity, he cupped her face in his hands and watched it as if it was an ancient artifact to be decrypted. For a moment the blue-ice eyes of the sorcerer were lost in those kaleidoscopic of the girl, Sara felt as if a warm and gentle flow of energy was being pouring from Gandalf's eyes into hers and then slipping on her cheeks and back in the palms of the hands of the istar. It was a very similar feeling to cry with face turned to the sky while it's raining, but without sadness only comfort. When the long, bony fingers of Gandalf moved away from her skin Sara closed her eyes and let out a sigh that she had not realized to be holding back, she was relieved to realize that the pain in the throat and the terror that were ravaging her had completely vanished.

 

*Do you feel better now?* asked politely the wizard when he was sure that the young girl's mind was focused on the present. *I do not understand, this should not be my name and yet it can not be otherwise* she said with a faint voice, *Why? What does it mean?* she added confused. *My dear, now you're a guest in Bilbo's body, which makes you Bilbo Baggins fledged ..... at least in part* chuckle the wizard while he gesticulated with his hands in unnerving way, obviously referring to the new feminine attributes of Bilbo. *But how is it that happened? I mean, assuming that I'm 'possessing' Bilbo's body, should not he be .... well, technically he is ... should not he owning different anatomic parts? Or he has always been a woman?* the last part of the sentence came out of Sara's mouth stammered so confusedly that Gandalf could not help but laugh as she blushed up over the tip of the ears. *No, no, he has always been a male. See, you must understand that in our world body and soul are inextricably linked, they form a unique and perfect melody. Did you know that our world was created by the Valar's singing? That from that harmony is born each existing thing? Anyway .... just like in a melody, in which if you change the instrument you need to change the chords so that it can be pleasant, when a deep change takes place in the soul then the body has to adapt to maintain the Balance*.

 

Sara was looking at the wizard rather skeptical, even though the concept was very clear she could not simply accept it as a dogma. _'Wait ... our world? He has just hinted that I am not of this world? How did he do, if I have not said anything yet?'_. *He he he .... my dear, do not look at me like I had grown a second head on your shoulders, I'm a sorcerer after all..* he said winking at her. *However, it would be of greatly help if you can tell me your story. The magic that has brought you here must be very powerful and dangerous, your very presence could be a threat to the balance of our world .... I need to know who you are and why you were brought here*. Sara watched carefully as the gaze of Gandalf turned from amused and gentle into worried and inquiring, she honestly did not know what to do so she decided to simply tell everything. She told of her life, her world, the cosplay, the incident and how she had died leaving her friends in tears watching over her body as she slid into Middle-earth. As she spoke Gandalf translated for Dwalin who at the end of story wrapped his powerful arms around Sara's body to comfort her until her tears did not stop to come down and the memory of all that she had probably lost forever grew only slightly less painful.

 

*When I woke up I thought I was still in my world, I realized what had happened only when I saw these* concluded the young woman pointing to her curly feet. *Well, it is indeed difficult not to notice them .... I'm really sorry for what you have gone through at such a young age* said the wizard with a sad smile. *How can I be here if in this world the soul and the body are so inseparable? It is not more logical that the body reject a new soul rather than adapt to it? ... And Bilbo? Where it is at this moment his soul? Gandalf please tell me that I did not kill the poor Bilbo* those questions were out of her mouth before she could do anything to stop them, even though she was not entirely sure she wanted to hear the answers. *Balance, even death is balance. Indeed the magic that brought you here should have killed you and Bilbo. It 'very rare, if not impossible, that a body accept a new soul ..... if I'm being completely honest when I realized what had happened I feared that both of you would not survive more than a couple of hours* from the tone that Gandalf was using Sara could feel all the sadness and relief that the wizard had felt.

 

*Both of you? We? So Bilbo is still alive?* the hope and concern on the girl's face was so obvious that Dwalin forced the wizard to translate that sentence literally, rather than make a broad overview as for the rest of the conversation in Elvish. The dwarf then could not suppress a threatening comment "Geezer, if you break her heart with false hopes I swear on Mahal's beard to break the damn stick that you carry around, and to hell the consequences." At the words of the dwarf, instead of getting angry, Gandalf laughed heartily. Sara looked at them decidedly disoriented for a moment, until the wizard decided to explain the situation. *Our dear Dwalin, was kindly pointed out to me that you seem very anguished about the fate of Bilbo and, always kindly, he had inviting me to not give you hopes too high where there were none* said still chuckling. * Kindly? If instead of his eyes he had had two guns you'd be already dead* replied Sara so incredulous of the wizard casually that she does not realize that he had used the word gun.

 

Gandalf pondered her words as if he were not sure to had heard right, *What is a guns? Some kind of weapon?* he asked finally deciding to give in to curiosity. *Yes, it is a weapon .... a sort of crossbow .... only much more powerful and dangerous* it was not exactly the best of explanations but it was the best she could give without confusing the elderly too. Sara observe as Gandalf nodded understanding and was very amused by the smug grin on the face of Dwalin when the wizard translated for him this last exchange. *So? Bilbo is still alive or not?* she asked impatiently when she realized that Gandalf did not seem interested in continuing their speech. The sorcerer observe her for a moment longer staring intensely into her eyes, suddenly it was as if Gandalf had found in the depths of her irises the answer he was looking for while a gentle smile made its way down his thin lips. *My dear, I have reason to believe that Bilbo is still alive, it's just a hunch and I'll have to confirm it with Lord Elrond, but ... there's a good chance that the soul of Bilbo is hidden within this body, dormant as long as your remain strong enough to dominate the sentient part of his mind *.

 

Sara accepted the explanation without too many problems, but deep down she felt that Gandalf was not telling her everything. It could not be so simple and in any case that did not explain why she had ended up right in Bilbo's body. If the spell that had brought her into this world was so powerful it certainly could not be linked to the randomness of the similarities between the two 'incidents' that had occurred to her and Bilbo, let alone, it might depend by the fact that she had died dressed as Bilbo Baggins. *Mithrandir you know why I am here and why Bilbo's body accepted me?* she asked him reluctantly with a faint voice in the end. *Oh child, unfortunately I'm not sure of the reasons of your presence .... I would like with all my heart to give you the answers, but I do not think it would be wise of me to stir waters that have been quiet for too long* at his enigmatic answer the wizard added a showy raised of his eyebrows and Sara knew it was not the time nor the place to get answers, but inside her was kindled the flame of hope. *As for the body of Bilbo .... I think it's because he's never been a hobbit which can be defined as normal. I must admit that ever since he was conceived his story is quite peculiar, even for those who have the blood of the Took. Throughout childhood and much of his youth he was a curious and lively hobbit, although he told me on more than one occasion of _'_ non feel completely comfortable in his own skin _'_ or _'_ with its people _'_... does it sound familiar? *

 

*Like me* whispered astonished the girl. *Despite myself, my own duties have kept me away from the Shire for a long time, in fact I saw Bilbo only when I went to ask him to join the company. The hobbits that I found in Bag End was not the one that I had known before and it took me a while to get him to talk ..... and even then I suspect that he has not told me everything. See my dear, the hobbits are a very friendly and carefree race but they tend to be stubbornly reserved and sometimes you could call them a bit xenophobic .... they do not do it on purpose, it's just that what they do not know terrifies them* he explained to her gently, hoping that this would be enough but when the girl frowned confused Gandalf spoke again. *In our world when an individual reaches physical maturity, in the case of dwarves and hobbits or when he meets the other half of his soul in the case of the elves, on his body appears a mark that ties him/her inextricably to another individual. The other half of its soul, the person to whom it is destined. Each race has its own way to define this process, for the hobbits is called Flowering and the other half of the soul of someone is defined Calyx ... * at this point Gandalf chuckled and sighed nostalgically. *A double reference to the passion of hobbits both for gardening and drinking I suppose. Anyway, to its flowering on Bilbo's body did not appear any mark, it had never happened before to an individual who does not belong to the race of men. Nowadays the few of the race of men on which still appears a soul-mark belong to the race of Dúnedain and they are very rare. As far as it was not voluntary the other inhabitants of Hobbiton begun to marginalize Bilbo (which in turn began to isolate himself) and with the death of his parents things have deteriorated further. I believe it is because of these similarities between you two that his body has accepted you*.

 

Sara felt terribly sad for Bilbo, which horrible thing had to be to find that there would never be a special person in your life, to see relatives and friends fall in love and start a family and remain a mere spectator of other people's happiness. Suddenly, images of hobbit children running carefree through the narrow streets of Hobbiton on the green hill flooded her mind. She could vividly distinguish the curly little heads, high just enough to be seen beyond the outer pound sign, hurriedly passing in front of Bag End as she watched them while she was standing on the steps in front of the round door. She could see the couples walk or to make picnic under the tree of the party, exchanging prohibited effusions whenever their chaperon was distracted enough. A stab of pain went through her heart, the pain of those who longs for something that will never be their but at the same time does not have the strength to envy to others. _'My life would be too much miserable if I fell down enough to resent for the happiness of others. Make a beautiful smile and carry on Bilbo Baggins'_ she said to herself as a knot squeezed her throat. She immediately realized that those images, those thoughts were nothing but memories of the true Bilbo.

 

Looking up she saw the worried faces of Dwalin and Gandalf watching her, she immediately put her hands to her face and wiped ... tears? when she had started crying again? *I .... I think I've seen some of Bilbo's memories, they were images of the Shire* she said when had managed to overcome the emotion of those moments. *This is a good sign, my dear. It means that my assumptions are correct ..* Gandalf replied with a big smile. *Now, I know that maybe is not the best time ... but you said that in your world we are all the characters of a book, a fantasy story, right?* Sara replied simply nodding. *Does this mean that you already know what has to happen? The end of story? * he asked cautiously, as if the wizard somehow feared the answer. Sara thought for a bid on it by continuing to scroll thoughts and information in her mind. She had read those books so many times and yet now she could not remember the end or a precise details of the story that was not already taken place up to that point. As much as she tried, everything she could think of were historical events and personages who had lived or currently living. She could not remember anything of what lay ahead. *I .. I'm so sorry .... I remember the places, the characters and the events that occurred, perhaps in all of Arda, until now ... but I do not know what awaits us ... sorry*.

 

The crestfallen tone of the girl and her shoulders lowered in defeat did Gandalf sighing sadly. *Oh, sweet daughter of the West ...* he said to her gently putting his index finger on his right hand under her chin to make her lift her head and cross his eyes * ... you must not be sorry, knowing the future is not always the best thing. A lot of heroes have encountered in their own destiny trying to avoid it ..... and then almost certainly your presence has altered our history, so why bother?*. Sara was not sure if this would make her feel better or worse. She did not want the honor of being the cause of their victory, but at the same time she certainly did not want the burden of being the cause of the dwarves defeat. As far this could be selfish, she just wanted to find a way to be happy, if it were possible she wanted to go home and continue to be a simple girl who loves Anime and singing under the shower. Out of the blue Dwalin joined their speech "Soon we'll get back in gear, the four ponies captured by the trolls fled when Bilbo has freed them while we were fighting those cursed things, so we have to agree on how to proceed. Fili and Kili will ride together and the load of the two extra ponies will be divided among the other 12, thus she is the only one light enough to share the saddle with one of us without wear down the animal. Maybe we can make her ride with Ori, he speaks Elvish and he is definitely the less intimidating in the company. Ask her if she agrees".

 

Before that the wizard could say anything Dwalin motioned to the young scribe to approach. Ori started walking toward them, head down and red in the face trying desperately not to linger his gaze on Bilbo too much, which in turn blushed at the approach of the young dwarf. "There's something I do not know lad?" asked the warrior when the climate of embarrassment was too obvious to ignore. "Em ... well ... it is that before .... of course it was an accident it was not my intention to see .... I swear !! ..." with a wave of his hand the warrior silenced the babbling of the scribe "Boy, take a deep breath and try to give some coherence to your words". Ori took a deep breath and explained what had happened earning a grunt of disapproval. Of course if Dwalin had been aware he would never suggested Ori for staying with the girl. *I'm really sorry Ms Baggins. I swear it was an accident, I did not mean to embarrass you* the contrite tone of the young dwarf made Sara smile. *No damage was done to anyone so it's fine, I accept the apology. Friends?* she asked reaching for the dwarf. To her surprise Ori smiled at her while continuing blushing and gently grasp her wrist (rather than shake her hand). Sara hesitated for a moment but then wrapped her fingers around the wrist dwarf remembering the handshake of the Roman soldiers.

 

Gandalf looked around and saw that Thorin was saddling his pony while the others were preparing to dismantle the camp. "Do not you think it's better to inform Thorin before taking decisions?" The sorcerer's voice was absent and disinterested, as if he had asked that question just because obliged to do so. "Thorin has other things to deal with at the moment, I do not think he's interested in who will ride with who as long as we're on our way as soon as possible" the dwarf made his best to keep a neutral voice in responding to the wizard but he knew that Gandalf could sense his disappointment . The last thing that Dwalin wanted at the moment was having to talk with Thorin, least of all precisely of the subject that had turned his anger towards his friend. The young girl and the wizard briefly exchanged a few words and Gandalf turned to the warrior, "Bilbo would like it to be you who will ride with her. As much as she is pleased of Ori's company she says that you remember to her a lot of a dear friend of hers and that your voice reassures her ". Dwalin look for a moment at the she-hobbit who in turn was looking at him with big eyes full of hope and a puppy-dog heartbroken expression. The warrior could not help but nod and his heart melted when he was rewarded again with the stunning smile of the girl. Then he and Gandalf joined the others in the preparations for the departure, leaving the two youngsters chatted amiably.

 

###

 

After the meal the whole company set about preparing the ponies for departure. Despite himself the king of the dwarves had found himself watching Gandalf and Dwalin talk to the young she-hobbit repeatedly. _'So in the end they found a way to communicate'_ he muttered to himself not too happy that in fact there was a way to communicate with the girl. It would have been much easier to ignore her if she had not been able to understand them, he could claim to have much more important things to attend and let the girl to bother someone else. At the mere thought Thorin chest seemed to become so tight that at every breath he had the feeling that there were needles that were pricking the lungs. This is not good at all, it was not normal, as soon as possible he would have to be checked by Oin. In addition to being a healer the deaf dwarf was also a priest of Mahal, so he probably would notice if there was something unnatural in his condition . For the moment it was better to deal with more pressing issues, and to his tired mind all seemed a matter of urgency in order not to think about the girl.

 

While Thorin was finishing to ensure the saddle on his mount his attention was drawn to the clear sound of someone trying to clear his throat. In turning around the sovereign came face to face (well, more or less face-to-face) with Gandalf who was staring at him a little puzzled. When he could no longer stand the inquiring gaze of the wizard he blurt annoyed "What else is it now?". "Heh? Ah yes .." the wizard cleared his voice again, as if he had just awakened from a stupor and added ".. the company is almost ready to resume the journey, has already found a solution to the problem of the ponies escaped .. " Thorin nodded and motioned to the wizard to continue. "The Cave Troll, it is better to have a look around before going" continued Gandalf in the tone of one who is trying to convince a capricious child to do something. Thorin could only take the cue, a perfect opportunity to keep his mind free of thoughts that were beginning to make to blush even a lord of the dwarves of 192 years. "Sure, I'd say that is the case to check the surroundings" then he turned to the company by significantly raising the voice "Dwalin, Glóin, Nori and Bofur .... just finished saddle the ponies we go looking for the cave of the trolls ".

 

If being tied in the bags used by trolls was a disgusting experience, entering the fetid lair of one of those hideous creatures was something that Thorin would not do ever again in all his life, even if it had cost him more than all the gold buried in Erebor. _'If others are willing to go back to recover the gold that they have hidden so be it if they want to, there's a limit also at_ _how much_ a _dwarf can appreciate precious'_ he thought as his senses were completely dazed by the terrible stench that surrounded him even after he moved away from the entrance of the cave. The thought of not be so obsessed with gold reassured him, just as he was comforted by the weight of the new sword attacks behind his back even though it was an elven blade (after all, as an expert locksmith was able to recognize and appreciate a job well done). What does not comforted him at all was the view of the young woman who was amiably and winking chatting with Ori, _'Less than 24 hours ago we could have been a bunch of brutes, as far as she know we could still be, and now she could have been violated and beaten repeatedly. How can she be so relaxed?'_ this thought tormented him, a creature so naive and trusting was not made for this world. He heard Gandalf approaching behind him and when he turned he saw the wizard looking in the direction of the girl, holding what looked like a short sword (more likely a dagger to be honest) with features very similar to those of the swords they had found.

 

"Have you managed to include the reasons for which we are in this situation?" he asked without looking away from the small weapon. "It seems that she is from a different world from ours. In her world we are characters in a fantasy book, having read this book she knows us and knows the history of our world" the sorcerer's voice was cautious and every word was well thought out before leaving his lips. "She revealed the end of the story?" the question of the dwarf was uncertain but Gandalf was expecting to have to answer this one and therefore did not hesitate "No. She can not remember. The cruel spell that brought her soul in this world, snatching her from everything she knew, had at least the mercy of not torment her with 'the gift' of clairvoyance. “In her own way she trusts us and I think that all in all, when I have confirmed some of my suspicions with Lord Elrond, we can go ahead as planned. Male or female makes no difference, she is to all effects Bilbo Baggins the burglar of this company". "Mercy? The only thing that could have made her helpful was denied to her and you call this mercy? .... I see no mercy in being so stupid as to trust someone just because you read about him in a book. And frankly there is a big difference between before and now, if you can not see it I advise you to go and check between the thighs of that girl" Thorin hissed furiously while, in a vain attempt to maintain a bit of self-control, he had taken panting.

 

"There is no need to be vulgar !!" the voice of the wizard rang in the ears of the dwarf like thunder, deep and full of reproach, but strangely no one seemed to have heard it but him. "Vulgar or not, I'm just telling the truth. Have you any idea what might happen to her in one of the forests where we will camp, on the street or even if we stopped in the wrong inn? In one of these places, she could suffer a fate worse than death ..." Thorin stopped for a moment and began to breathe through the nose to appease the anger he felt inside his heart "... I and others can not always be present, especially when the danger could have different shapes from metal and fire. I can not and do not want be responsible for the horrors that that creature could face ... " ' _horrors that could happen by your hand'_ whispered a voice from a hidden meander of his mind. Thorin's head shot forward, he had not even realized to had bowed his head, his face was suddenly in front of that of Gandalf who was watching him worried. After a few moments the sorcerer turned to leave but then he stopped and said, without looking back, "So be it, I'll take the responsibility for anything that might happen to her" then he continues to move closer to his horse already prepared for departure. Thorin merely reach his mount without looking the girl another time, or at least he tried.

 

###

 

Talking with Ori was extremely relaxing, sure Sara would have done without the embarrassing clothing (or lack of clothing because she was wearing only a blouse, which as far as on her it seemed a dress it remained always and however only a blouse), but all in all she could not complain. The pain in her head was almost completely gone and the feeling of nausea had been replaced with a pleasant sensation of satiety. The only thing that could greatly improve her day was a nice bath. It was clear that in taking care of her the dwarves had washed her hands with forearms and her face but they had not gone further, of course she was grateful for their tact even though she did not understand why they had not washed her legs from the knee down or her hair. Not that she wanted to bother them more than the necessary obviously, however the reason for their consideration intrigued her enough to ask Ori. *Ooooh ... we do not ... W-we would never have dared to be so br-brazen, not even Oin which is a healer would have dared* replied the young scribe with an almost horrified expression that the girl could believe them capable of such an act. When she looked more confused than reassured the young dwarf continued his explanation * Bilbo .... I mean the other Bilbo, explained to us that for the hobbits to touch the legs of someone else, especially the feet, is a very intimate act .. something that is appropriate only between family member and lo-lovers ...* and despite at that word Ori seemed to light up like a traffic light he continued undeterred *... for us dwarves it is more or less the same thing with the hair *.

 

This time it was the turn of Sara to be surprised *Ooooh, I understand … a thank would seem required, thus ..* she was unable to finish the sentence that a rustle of leaves and cloth mixed with the low murmur of voices behind her drew her attention. Turning her head she saw Fili lying face down at the foot of a large beech with Kili on all fours on his back, it was as if they had tumbled down from behind the tree trunk. She could hear the two princes rant softly against each other as they tried clumsily to stand up. A rather hilarious performance if not for the fact that the poor Fili's face was immersed in the undergrowth and Kili was desperately looking for a way to get off of his brother's back (that was large enough to prevent his knees to entirely touch the ground) without hurting any of them, seen that one side there was the tree trunk and on the other shrubs of various kinds all of its little cozy. Seeing the boys in trouble instinctively Sara tried to go to their rescue, but in an attempt to turn around and get up at the same time, still poorly balanced on her new hobbit feet, she did nothing but end up falling on the ground with a pitiful whimper of pain.

 

As soon as Fili heard her whimpers he stood up raising also his brother with a remarkable display of brute force and the two youths began to stare at her with an unreadable expression. *Ms Baggins, you should not be afraid ... Fili and Kili have no intention to hurt you* Ori's voice was cautious and almost sad, honestly she could not understand why. *What? I do not ... oooh* in fact from the position in which she had fallen it would have seemed that she was trying to get away from them, probably they had interpreted her lament more like an expression of fear that the result of what probably would have become a conspicuous bruise on her buttocks in the morning. *I'm not scared of them. I'm sure they did what they did because they had no other choice. Besides it is only flesh .. touch my breasts or hand it makes no difference, the intentions are those that worth ... right? .... I-it was not so bad for being the first time that someone gropes her tits* she said chuckling nervously. She was not sure if she was trying to convince herself or to reassure the young princes. In fact it was really horrible, she could still feel the ghost touch of the hands of both on her body and a shiver ran through her back. Instinctively, she rubbed her still sore wrists and looking better she could clearly distinguish the bruises in the shape of fingers hidden just below the long sleeves of her blouse. Despite her efforts, from the horrified expression Ori and the princes her attempt to downplay the matter must have been lost in the translation.

 

"She had never been touched before ?! I'm a monster !! .... Filiiiiii !!! I'll probably die of a terrible death, "the ridiculous whining of Kili, a mixture of true repentance and the whims of a child, brought the attention of the girl on the brothers. Kili was theatrically launched into the arms of his brother who was now trying to console him. The blond knew that this was his brother's way to hide when he really felt uncomfortable, for not showing his weaknesses to the world Kili claimed to be childish and carefree even when his heart was broken. The gaze of the young heir to the throne of Erebor fell on her battered wrists, Sara almost immediately hid her hands under the heavy cloth of the sleeves and offered a reassuring smile to the dwarf. The expression of Fili was torn and guilty, he briefly continued to watch the she-hobbits then his gaze fell back on her wrists and finally he I lower his eyes to stare at his own hands. He began to open and close his fingers as if he were trying to metabolize that, in fact, had been his hands to leave those horrible marks on the white skin of the girl.

 

"We're really sorry, we know that what we did is unforgivable and we would perfectly understand if you hated us now, but we really had no idea you were a girl I swear" Fili's voice was gentle and full of remorse and Sara could not help herself from get to her feet and stagger up to the two Durin to tighten them in a group hug. The dwarves were almost completely still, Kili lunging his face even more on his brother's shoulder as Fili hesitantly gripped his free arm around the waist of the she-hobbit. Images of the young dwarves as they laughed and joked with her during the journey filled her mind, and she knew at that very moment that the warmth of their affection and their liveliness were the only things that had allowed Bilbo to get that far. Who was she to break up such a pure and sincere bond? Nobody, really nobody. *It's okay, you have not done anything wrong. I feel that Bilbo loves you with all his heart and at the moment I share both his heart that his affection for you. I hope you can be my friends as you are with Bilbo*. Ori translated almost in tears while he was on the sidelines. When Sara looked at him she realized that the young scribe wanted to be part of the group but was too shy to ask. *Really!! Come here silly .... it is obvious that you are more than welcome* she said raising her arm from Kili's shoulders and making room for him too. Ori hesitated for a moment before approaching them and tentatively join the embrace.

 

"What's going on here?" Dwalin's made presuppose that the dwarf was not very happy of what he was seeing. The four young broke the embrace and prepared to face the bald dwarf. Dwalin was watching them with his arms folded and his legs slightly apart, from his posture was evident that he was not very willing to dialogue. Fili and Kili became almost like two pieces of marble with their eyes fixed on the ground. "Mr. Dwalin, B-Bilbo h-has forgiven us. Fili and Kili have not broken any rule, t-they were no-not alone with her and Bilbo specifically asked them to remain in her company ..." his voice was uncertain and a little stutter but Ori does not hint of getting back in to defend his friends from the eldest dwarf, even when Dwalin taken to approach menacingly. "You have guts to reply in defense of these two hotheads," he said, almost whispering, bringing his face within a whisker from the Ori. The youth was visibly terrified but he kept his eyes fixed on that of Dwalin and continued "Th-Th-they are my friends and t-they have not done anything wrong .... to not defend them, that would be cowardice". Dwalin started toward the principles, which flinched but did not recoiled always keeping their heads down.

 

Ori and Sara moved in front of the two to protect them. The four young were expecting everything but that the Warrior burst out in an ungraceful laugh so loud to fly away the birds perched on the trees certainly was not what had minimally touched their minds. When he stopped laughing the huge warrior held out a hand to Sara and said, "Come little one, we must be on our way. And you lads, go and get ready we're leaving." Sara took the hand that was offered to her, she did not even need Ori to translate. The dwarf voice was so kind that she would find herself following him anyway even if their hands were not united in what seemed to her a rough but sweet hug .

 


	7. Lullaby from another world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning! This chapter contains explicit content that might be considered offensive or not depending on your sensibility. I'm not responsible for anything if you keep reading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here I am with a new chapter, I am really sorry for having made you wait so much, I hope it was worth it. The warning is only for security (you never know) and in the notes at the end of the chapter you will find the links of : Of how I imagined Sara would appear in the eyes of dwarves with Bilbo's clothes, a song that is sung in the chapter and the cinematic scene to which I am inspired to write one of the last scenes. As usual I hope to receive some comments and I hope you enjoy the reading ^_^

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** **Languages:** **

"Ovestron" ; * Elvish * ; ^Dwarvish^ ; [Sign language, dwarvish] ; << Real world>> ; ** ~~ **" black speech "**~~** ; _'Thoughts or mental communications' ; '_ _Thoughts or mental communications (Madness or curse)_ _'_

  
  


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Sara and Dwalin came to their pony holding hand. For all the time the girl could not fail to feel observed and even if the sweetness of their fingers intertwined comforted her, this not eased the feeling that the hand that she was holding was not the right one. Not that she felt aversion toward the touch with Dwalin at that moment, on the contrary, she would have spent hours holding hand with him. But it was as if someone or something was trying to use 'the force' of its gaze to separate them. She could not understand if the eyes that were staring at her were simply disgusted by her intimacy with the warrior or if, as for her, even they had realized that there was something wrong. Sara instinctively looked around but she did not see anyone that was looking at her so she continued to follow the dwarf, storing those sensations as the simple discomfort due to her new body.

  
  


Arrived at the pony Dwalin made to lift the girl above the animal, but she readily portrayed when his big hands were almost on her hips. Sara did not want to seem rude and the slightly wound expression of the dwarf displeased her, but she had no intention to climb on the rump of a pony with nothing but a blouse on her. When Dwalin took a few steps back and continued to observe her she began to dangle shifting her weight from one foot to the other while with her hands she was trying to keep the rim of the blouse as low as possible along his thighs. After some time, given that the expression interrogative of Dwalin did not reduce, Sara frantically search between the words in khuzdul that she knew and hoping to remember the correct pronunciation she said ^I... hum... I, naked?^ continuing to adjust the edge of the blouse while blushing slightly.

  
  


"Well ... yes, indeed you are not properly dressed for riding" he said, chuckling and blushing a little while with one hand he scratched his nape. "Wait for me here. I am going to take Bilbo's luggage and see what we can do" he continued in an almost paternal voice. Sara remained to watch while he walked away and at the same time with his hand he nodded to her to stay still where she was. After a few minutes Dwalin reappeared with what seemed to be a big backpack from excursions and therefore beckoned her to look inside it. Inside there were those who seemed Bilbo's personal effects, among which she selected some garments which could somehow go well and she hid behind a bush for changing. Despite everything Sara was able to find something to wear without being too uncomfortable. The pants were a bit tight to the hip, too wide at the waist and she was able to button up only the first three buttons of the waistcoat, for the moment they were better than nothing

  
  


The colorful garment girded firmly on her shoulders and bust, although it was only partially buttoned it guaranteed at least some support to her chest and (paired with the large blouse supplied to her by the dwarves) it had to make her look a bit like Geena Davis in Corsairs but, all in all, she felt quite covered and free in the movements. When she resurfaced from the bush was amused by the expression of astonishment over Dwalin's face. It was obvious that that was certainly not the most appropriate way to dress for a maiden but after a careful inspection the dwarf gave a grunt of approval, probably satisfied by how much of her modesty the She-hobbit had managed to preserve with so little to work on. Only a few minutes later they were already on their way and Sara was desperately trying to find a conforable position over the saddle while all the muscles in her body were stiff and concentrated on keeping her in balance.

  
  


After a couple of hours riding the pony all the lower part of her body was numb and she had let herself slip against Dwalin's wide chest while he seemed to have absolutely no problem with staying in the same position so long. It had been a gesture dictated more by the need than by the desire to stand near the dwarf, nonetheless after an initial embarrassment she had let herself go, lulled by the comfortable feeling of warmth and protection that gave her the body of the warrior. His chest crushed against her back and his arms surrounded her almost in a hug while he held the reins. All around her were opening wonderful landscapes, an unspoilt and wild nature, only the road of beaten land and some sporadic signal (which probably indicated how far from the towns were located) let glimpse a semblance of civilization.

  
  


The company did not seem to give much weight to her presence, even though she could not drive away the feeling of being observed. Apart from the sporadic company of Ori and Gandalf, she and Dwalin rode mostly alone even if surrounded by the rest of the group. They were traveling just behind Thorin who seemed almost entirely indifferent. At some point the beard of Dwalin tickled inadvertently on that part of her shoulder and neck that the wide collar of the blouse left discoveries. Sara could not do anything but burst into an uncontrolled following of laughter and small contortions of bust and shoulders in an attempt to soothe the feeling of tickle that still hovered over her skin, when she realized that around her was lowered an icy silence. Reopening her eyes she found herself in front of Thorin. He was riding his pony who was now facing in their direction, he was observing her with a mixture of anger and disgust. "Ori, translate" he said and the young scribe emerged hesitantly from the group's findings.

  
  


"This is a mission of vital importance, I am not going to endure any kind of frivolities and risk the life of my dwarves. We don't need any distractions or impediments, have I been clear?" as he spoke Thorin's gaze was fixed on her and all that Sara managed to do was nod furiously and lower her gaze. She had never felt so embarrassed in her life, the king's words resonated in her head as a malignant whisper. Her eyes were pearled with tears that she stubbornly refused to let drop, debuttocking loudly around the knot that had formed in her throat throat. Why were the words of a perfect stranger were saddening her so much? _'What have I done to him so horrible that I deserve such a treatment? Why is he so disgusted by me?_ ' It was all she could think of while Thorin approached his pony to them in order to be face to face with Dwalin. "If you want to have fun, I'm not going to keep it from you. I admit that, in fact, this fruit is juicy enough that it is worth giving a bite but have at least the decency to wait for the favor of the dark . "

  
  


The dwarf's body behind her stiffeneded considerably and Sara distinctly perceived the vibrations of Dwalin's thorax when the dwarf replied to the king in a low voice and narrow teeth. "Is this a request from my king? Because I do not seem to hear any regality in your words, Sire" hissed the warrior, without distracting his gaze from his friend while the small form between his arms trembled as if she wanted to disappear. "It's the advice of a friend. Appearances sometimes deceive and this creature is the fruit of a spell, whether she is aware of it or not " said the king almost like a sigh and Dwalin saw in Thorin's eyes a deep torment hidden beneath a mask of anger and arrogance. The warrior did not understand at what the feelings of his friend were due, but he knew Thorin from almost his entire life and was willing to give him the benefit of doubt. Dwalin knew that although Thorin's behavior was senseless his words had a bottom of truth, that it was more than sensible to remain vigilant in the presence of the little creature.

  
  


Ori did not translate the exchange of sentences between the two dwarves but Sara could not tell if he had not heard them or if she was not destined to understand the meaning of them, of one thing she was certain: they were talking about her. Whatever Thorin had said it certainly wasn't supposed to be a compliment. She was not stupid, she had never been, she knew that the leader of the dwarves saw her as a ballast and probably would have abandoned her to die in the woods if he had been only crumb less honorable than he was. Gandalf had not told her what would happen once they had reached the elves all that the wizard had been worthy to do was smile and continue to assert that they would find the answers to her questions. It didn't take a great strategist to assume that Thorin would leave her with the elves to continue his mission without hindrance. This comforted and irritated her at the same time. _' What the heck!! The title of the book is, The Hobbit not the 13 Dwarves or The reconquest of Erebor '_ she thought annoyed.

  
  


Although she did not remember the details, she was certain that the title did not relate only to the presence of Bilbo but to his absolute necessity in the salient moments of the story. It wasn't fair that because of her Bilbo could not participate in his adventure. _'"Mr. Bilbo where do you go?" "I can't stop it is already late" "late for what?" "I'm going on an adventure."'_ The memory of the sensation of lightness, childish excitement, happiness and fear of the unknown that Bilbo had felt crossed her mind as if it was an open window and the images of that wild race to reach the dwarves in time a light summer breeze. Now Thorin's words took on a whole other meaning, maybe it wasn't her to suffer the intolerance of dwarf but Bilbo. It was logical to assume that if Bilbo was still present in that body with her what she was trying towards the dwarf could be his feelings and not hers.

  
  


Yes, it was the most logical thing to think about. Bilbo had been together with those dwarves longer than a few days, a few hours if one considered the fact that for the most part of the time she had been unconscious (fainted or asleep). He had tightened with them a bond as weak as it was. Yes, that was the most logical thing to think about. Sara tried to convince herself of this and to be, as she had always been, a person who relies on logic. It was better than trying to explain feelings that probably didn't belong to her. Would not bring her any benefit to truggle her brain on things that, in any case, she could not control. Yet, while Thorin spurred his pony to resume his rightful place at the head of the tiny army of dwarves moving away from her and Dwalin, Sara felt in her deep that she was cowardly choosing the easiest way. Now, stuck in a world that should not even exist, logic did not seem the most logical thing to follow.

  
  


  
  


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Thorin returned to lead the company heading south out of the woods near Weathertop and in the direction of the Great East Road which, hopefully, would led them quickly to the elves. As soon as he had freed himself of her better this would have been for everyone, it did not mind what the wizard was thinking. During the hours that followed Thorin really struggled to maintain a detached attitude and not to look behind, where he knew he would see the girl practically curled up in Dwalin's laps. Since he had seen them approaching the warrior's pony holding hands his mind had not been able to give him peace, the aversion he felt for that so innocent gesture had caught him aback. Only for a few moments he had believed that his indignation depended on the fact that she was not of a dwarf race but in his heart he knew how hypocritical was that thought, especially after the dream he had done.

  
  


He was so absorbed in watching Dwalin while he was accompanying her towards the pony that when she suddenly stopped to look around, Thorin had done just in time to turn over to not be discovered. _'Has she seen me? Will she think I'm interested in her or that I don't trust her? Obviously I don't trust her, but will she be smart enough to figure it out? What I care? She's probably too busy making sweet eyes at Dwalin. Those beautiful rainbow eyes, will they always be so or only when she cries? Have I ever seen those eyes without tears?...._ _Yes, you saw them, but the smiles that were rightly yours were turned to others._ _'_ Thorin shook his head as if the gesture could drive away those thoughts. It was really frustrating to feel like a child caught stealing sweets and what the heck was that voice that had answered his thoughts? It was really disturbing to think that someone was playing with his mind, as if something was trying to deprive him of his will.

  
  


Thorin felt a cold shiver ran along his back, at the thought that someone was manipulating him he estimated (just for a moment) the possibility to speak with Gandalf but the wizard had already been clear on that point. The King in exile did not want to hear yet another paternal who would do nothing more than irritate him, also there was no way to expose his problem without contradicting himself. He could have said that his interest in the girl was born after the conversation with the sorcerer but in his heart Thorin knew that Gandalf had simply limited himself to pretend to believe him. He would have preferred to snatch his liver with his bare hands and eat it raw rather than giving this victory to the old man. _'Pride will be my downfall'_ he thought letting escape a resigned sigh. Then a thought would explains in his mind as sharp as a summer sky: if Gandalf suspected something but was willing to wait for him to come forward looking for help, probably, it was something he could handle alone.

  
  


It took a few minutes for his heart to stop galloping like a stallion in his chest and, given the confused looks of the companions who stood before him, he was certain that he could not disguise any of the feelings he was experiencing. The usual mask of regal indifference veiled by gruff dedication to his role had fallen too late on his face. Fortunately none of the present seemed to have the courage to face him openly and they were simply satisfied to observe him, some with apprehension others confused or slightly crossly. He was extremely relieved that, contrary to what Balin's words had made him believe, no one was looking at him with disgust or disdain. Despite the first uncertainties the trip was restarted without many problems. After a few hours of riding Thorin had plunged so much into his schedules for the encounter with the elves that he had almost completely forgotten about Bilbo, although this was a big 'almost'.

  
  


Everything seemed to proceed for the better, he had managed to avoid looking in the direction of the girl all the time (probably). He felt almost as if he had escaped the overwhelming grasp of his desires but a sound crepted in his ears bringing the dwarf back to the cruel reality. Bilbo was chirping a harmonious laughter full of complacency. When Thorin's gaze rested on what he had stubbornly set out to ignore in the last hours all his false indifference collapsed like a sand castle. Until that moment he had not been aware of the indecency of the clothes worn by Bilbo or that she had blissfully reclined on Dwalin's lap. That sound, that limpid and joyful laughter, had condemned him to be a witness while the young woman writhed sensually against the warrior's chest. Dwalin, on the other hand, seemed more amused than seduced by her behaviour, but this did not attenuate in any way the wrath that threatened to erupt from Thorin in the form of petty words.

  
  


The immediate reaction of terror of the young she-hobbit in realizing his gaze was upon her pervaded him with a perverse sense of supremacy, injecting in his veins both anger and resignation, joy and sadness, love and hatred all at the same time. As expected the words that came out of his mouth had been unjust for her and for Dwalin. He knew he was cruel but his mouth seemed to have his own life when he had to relate to Bilbo, he had not been able to do anything but regret the disappointment in his friend's response. Thorin did not wish at all to behave that way and had tried to remedy, even if once again his pride had prevented him from apologizing as he should. He could not do anything, his body and his tongue continued to defect his orders and he was increasingly convinced that it was all fault of what had happened to Bilbo.

  
  


They continued at fast pace throughout the afternoon and arrived at the edge of the woods at the earliest hints of the sunset. In the vicinity of a small clearing just a few meters from the last rows of trees Thorin raised his hand to beckon the Commitia to stop, then with a decided movement of the arm tug the reins and spurred his pony to turn in the direction of the others. "We camp here for the night, better not to leave the shelter of the trees for the moment" the tone of his voice was commanding but somehow he had managed to keep a semblance of calm, almost kindness, which made him marvel at himself. While others prepared the bivouac he decided to explore the boundaries of the forest, a last desperate attempt to find some peace for his soul in turmoil. After only a few steps he found himself under an oak that stood lonely just ahead of the rest of the trees almost like a general urging his army.

  
  


The tree tended its branches towards the prairie that they would have crossed the next day, as if in some way it was trying to indicate him the way but at the same time it was warning him of some impending danger. Thorin peered in the immensity of those lands. Beyond the trees there was nothing but a prairie covered with low and sparse vegetation, whose colour faded from the dark green (a last reminiscent of a stubborn spring) to the yellow almost gold of the grass kissed by the summer sun. Here and there popped up from the ground huge ridges of gray, naked and cold rock as sentinels on alert for an imminent attack. Usually it would not be in the nature of the dwarves to appreciate the open spaces but Thorin could only be intoxicated with the beauty of that place. That place was extremely beautiful despite its wild and potentially hostile nature, although there were no the comfort or the protection of a mountain, although there were no jewels or veins of precious metals to undermine.

  
  


Thorin sat on the roots of the oak, which prepotently protruded from the ground and intricavanoed around the trunk like so many serpents. He pressed his chest in search of his pipe but instead, under the cloth of the many layers of clothes he wore, his fingers met the outline of an object that he much more loved. _'Why not? There is no imminent danger, I can afford a moment for myself'_ he thought, as he pulled out of an inner pocket of his cloak the travel harp he held close to his heart. In such an open place the little harp would not have produced such a sound as to endanger them, perhaps even his companions could not hear it. Thorin looked at the object with affection, remembering how happy he had been to receive that gift from his mother. The structure was in iron-plated wood with small studs of gold on the corners. On both sides of the base, always in gold, there was a bas-relief that portrayed a wounded deer crouching behind a wolf intent to snarl against a lion.

  
  


It was nothing more than a toy, his hands were almost too big to play it smoothly now, but nevertheless he kept carrying it with him and using it from time to time. As a child Thorin had always believed that the wolf was defending his prey, but with the time and the wisdom of the years it had become increasingly evident that it was the deer hiding behind the wolf, while these faced the lion more for survival instinct than for the desire to defend an easily substitutable meal. The message that his mother wanted to transmit to him was another; My enemy's enemy is my friend. A notion that, with his regret, he realized was still difficult to put into practice for him. Before Erebor fell prey of Smaug the little harp was just a memory, now it had become a symbol. To not forget that there had been happy days. Days of music and smiles. Days of affection and carefree. Days that maybe would come back.

  
  


For a brief moment there was nothing but the sound of the wind between the fronds and the chirping of the diurnal birds that returned to their nests for the night. Only the world and its sounds, no rules, no king, no mountain to be reconquered. Only Thorin and his harp. Just a dwarf and his love for music. He began to play an old ditty, one of those that he had often heard Dìs sing when it was time to put to sleep Fili and Kili. All too often he had accompanied with his harp the humming of his sister while she lulled her children, to not remember that melody perfectly. He continued to gently pinch the strings, sliding the melody from his fingers as if it were his own soul until he noticed that there was someone who was singing in time with his music. It was a sweet and warm voice, a voice that could belong to only one member of the company. She was good at singing, she was damn good and Thorin couldn't do anything but stop playing and get close to the source of that sound.

  
  


As he forwarded in the bush to search from his nymph, and no longer concentrated on playing, he realized that the darkness had fallen on the forest. Bilbo had not stopped singing and from afar he heard the sound of the violins of his nephews who accompanied her. It didn't really make sense. Although the words were sung in the strange tongue of the girl the song was undoubtedly the lullaby belonging to this world, to their world not to hers. _'How was it possible that she knew it? She know the elvish and a few words of Khuzdul so it is entirely possible that she also know some songs'_ he trying to reason with himself, but this did not relieve the strange feeling that had taken to ramp up in the dwarf. It was as if he had just sent down a big sip of a strong liquor, he could feel a liquid heat that was expanding in his chest, stagnate in his lower belly for a few minutes and then descended to make his knees weak.

  
  


He could feel that the peace of a few minutes before had completely vanished, replaced by that now too well known feeling of anger and desires that pervaded him every time he was in the vicinity of the girl. But this time it was different, however Thorin tried not to think about it this time it was not only the lust to move his footsteps. The desire to mount Bilbo as an animal (shameful as it were, he had no other words to describe the feeling) had not diminished but this time it was wrapped with a profound sense of incompleteness. After hearing the melodious sound of Bilbo's voice, so full of passion and sweetness, something had changed in him. It was no longer the mere sex that his body was looking for but something more. Thorin didn't know what this thing was, maybe he didn't want to know, but it was something more than a hot body on which to vent his carnal desires. Only the thought of this terrified him more than an army of orcs.

  
  


Despite the uncertainty that was wrapping him, Thorin continued to approach quietly until between him and Bilbo there was nothing but a bush. He looked through the branches and leaves, his breath died in his chest. She was naked (Thorin could see enough to assume that she was) immersed in an improvised tub by a pit of the ground, with only a fur hanging between two trees as if it were a curtain to separate her from the rest of the camp. She was soaped her hair while singing blissfully accompanied by Fili and Kili. How could she be so reckless? She was naked with almost nothing to divide her from 11 dwarves and a man, if they wished it would be enough to stretch their hands to have her. Thorin would have wanted to jump the bush and scold her, let her understand how stupid she was. _'_ _Go_ _..._ _take her._ _.._ _she is yours_ _..._ _do her all yours_ _.... no, I can't..._ _she threw this on herself_ _..._ _she deserves it for being so stupid_ _...._ _let her know who's in charge_ _...._ _don't you see it?_ _... No...._ _she want it_ _..._ _she's asking you to do this_ _... no, it's not true...._ _you know it's so_ _... no '._

  
  


Thorin scarcely returned to regularly breathing, while struggling against thoughts in his head. He would have wanted to stop watching Bilbo, to stop invading her intimacy but could not, he could not. For a moment he believed that the girl had seen him when she had looked around worried covering her breasts with her arms but then she had relaxed again. After a few minutes Bilbo had risen and exposed her naked body, which now dipped only until just above the knee, before his eyes. She took a saucepan and began to rinse away the soap by drawing from a cauldron of clean water next to her improvised bath tub. Thorin could see everything, both front and back, since she was positioned with her left side in his direction. Bilbo lifted the pan full of water over her head ene poured the content on her, letting the soap glide along the gentle curves of her body.

  
  


Thorin tried in vain to suppress a growl, it was a sound that neither he knew he could produce, fortunately she did not hear him because of the water that was flowing on her ears. _'_ _Now_ _...._ _take her now_ _... No....._ _sinks yourself into her tender flesh_ _.... No...._ _it is her who is inviting you_ _.... it is not true...._ _on the ground_ _...._ _fuck her on the ground_ _... that's not what I want....._ _but she does, she wants you to fuck her_ _.... no, no, No....._ _push, scratch, bite, hurt_ _.... I SAID NO!!'_. Still that voice, and what was that feeling? Someone was touching him. Finally able to look away from Bilbo with his great horror he realized that he was touching himself. Thorin was masturbating while watching that maiden while bathing. As soon as the realities had entered his mind the king in exile had immediately ceased his actions, distancing his hand from his member as if it were a fiery embers.

  
  


Before even tidy up his clothes he turned and walked away from that place, as fast as he could. Arrived again near the oak he felt the bile go up in his mouth. He felt sick, disgusted by himself. Thorin was unable to restrain himself and emptied the contents of his stomach at the foot of the tree, which seemed to be looking at him with contempt. After a while his knees were no longer able to hold his weight and he fell on his knees, clutching his torso with his arms as if trying not to fall into pieces. The young king felt as if something was tearing his soul, such a profound anguish that it would make him believe that the sun would never rise again. It would have taken at least two more days to reach Rivendell and Thorin was not sure that he would survive that suffering long enough to see the elves.

  
  


He did not want to sink into despair but could do nothing but lower his head and pray Mahal to give him the strength to get away from that girl, to escape the evil that had been done to him. He wanted to hate Bilbo for what she was doing to him and in a sense he hated her more than he had never hated anyone else in his life. He hated her beauty, her melodious voice, her honey-colored curls, her rosy cheeks and her sinuous and feminine body. But what he hated most of all was that Bilbo was not his One. No, on the creamy and smooth skin of the thigh and the left hip of the girl there was no sign of a soulmark that matched that he was carrying. There was no doubt that she was not destined to him and this left him confused and suffering, even though until that time Thorin had not even contemplated the possibility that she could be the other half of his soul. While a myriad of thoughts tormented him the poor dwarf was only able to sigh "I... I really.... really do not want to hurt her."

  
  


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Blinding, the light that leaked from behind his eyelids could not be described with other words. Bilbo whimpered vexed from the sun's rays that woke him up, however he opened his eyes slamming his eyelids several times to get used to the light that surrounded him. Above him there was a clear sky and all around the tall stalks of the summer barley of the fields downstream the Shire. He had no idea how he knew he was in the Shire, but he did know it, he felt it in his heart. He sat down and looked around in search of the dwarves. No one, no dwarves, no hobbit or men. He was completely alone immersed in a sea of golden barley and had no idea how he got there. When he stood what he saw puzzled him enough, the only sign that anyone ever had been in that field was the broken stems of the plants on which he was lying. There was no sign of the path he had made to get in the middle of the field, only the imprint of his body. As if, out of the blue, he had rained down from the sky.

  
  


_'Rained down from the sky? Well, actually, that troll made me do quite a good flight'_ he thought giggling. Why didn't the thought of the troll bother him at all? What about the dwarves? He wasn't worried about them. He didn't feel guilty about being back home without them. Why? _'They did not want me with them from the beginning, why should I worry about what will happen to them?'_ but Bilbo knew that it was not the reason he felt so serene, it was not true that they had not accepted him; At least it wasn't for most of them. _'I'm dead and it's not my problem?'_ No, not even this was the reason. Even as a dead hobbit he would always be concerned for those who in his heart he believed to be his friends, for him who (though for a short time) had made him hope in love. A love hidden or brutally dismissed but still always love, always better than nothing. _'Is this my place?'_ Yes, this was the right question, the question to which he had to give an answer and the only way to do it was to go home.

  
  


As he walked towards Bag End he realized that what surrounded him seemed real only in his vicinity, as if all around him the landscape was a painting. Everything was characterized by vibrant multicolor strokes, in some places the paint was so thick that there were small ridges in relief, where it was past the space between the bristles of the brush. A couple of times Bilbo had tried to reach that canvas but at every step the landscape in fronts of him became real while the behind one resembled the likeness of a painting, after a while he resigned to remain in his small bubble of reality even if reluctantly. For the whole journey he did not meet anyone, no one with whom he wanted to speak or who still seemed to notice him. The hobbits he crossed seemed not to be able to see him, not that it was a novelty although this time it was not their intention to ignore him, but unlike other times he did not mind.

  
  


Arrived at the foot of the hill he paused a moment to admire the beautiful painting of Bag End that stood before him, he did not want everything to become real too quickly so he took his time to observe his beautiful house, his garden, the bench near the gate and even the mailbox. Memorized all the details and then approached more slowly than he could, trying to prolong the journey on that last stretch of road. Suddenly he felt restless as if once he entered the smial he would not come out, as if he knew that what was waiting for him beyond that door would change him forever. Once in front of the entrance he put his hand on the knob and hesitated again for a moment before taking a deep breath and opening it. What he saw, was not at all what he expected: beyond the door there was nothing, only a white space.

  
  


An infinity all white nothing, no walls, floor or ceiling. Only white. Suddenly while Bilbo was on the verge of going away some images began to flow as if that white space had become a theatre whose scenographies represented the places of a past (not too far away) and his actors were the shadows of the memories of those who had lived in those places. The scenes continued to flow by telling their story and Bilbo found himself experiencing a range of emotions so vast and intense to feel dizzy. At first he was confused, then shocked, then angry, then deeply sad and finally resigned and embittered. "At least this explains a lot of things" he brooded to himself when, at the end of the story, the white nothing disappeared leaving in its place the usual and cozy Bag End. But after what Bilbo had discovered, he was no longer sure that he wanted to stay. It was no longer his house, not exactly at least. After a few minutes, however, he realized that he was there for a purpose, "We will have a lot of things to tell between us when we meet my dear Sara" he hummed smiling sadly as he entered the kitchen to prepare a nice cup of tea.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/48/9d/3a/489d3ae6894491753d4637f8d2c242f9.jpg  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yQpU_73Dv0  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYonzhFT_z4


	8. The Hammer and the Anvil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, hello everyone... here I am with a new chapter ^_^.... I am really sorry to have made you wait so much but for this chapter I had some serious problem. I suppose you could say that I suffered from the writer's block, but in the end I succeeded (at least I hope). In this chapter there are clear references to the mythology of the Valar written by Tolkien (I took all the information about the history of the Valar from here http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Valar) , but all that is different was given birth by my twisted mind. Let me know if you have any doubts or if something in the plot is not clear I am always ready to answer your questions. As usual I hope to receive some comments and I hope you enjoy the reading ^_^

* * *

 

** **Languages:** **

"Ovestron" ; * Elvish * ; ^Dwarvish^ ; [Sign language, dwarvish] ; << Real world>> ; ** ~~ **" black speech "**~~** ;  _'Thoughts or mental communications' ; '_ _Thoughts or mental communications (Madness or curse)_ _'_

 

* * *

 

 

Sara was so exhausted and sore after all those hours in the saddle that she barely noticed when Thorin disappeared in the trees after barking some generic order at random. Dwalin dropped her from the pony and practically deposited her on a small rock, as if she were a child, without lingering to ask her if she needed help. Although she was embarrassed she was extremely grateful to him, she was certain that her legs would not support her on her feet so much less she would have managed to get off the pony alone. Everyone was extremely busy. There were those who were picking up the wood, who dealt with the ponies, who was cleaning the clearing from stones and branches so that they could spread the bedding and who, like Bombur, juggled between pots and utensils. The most peculiar scene were offering to her by Oin and the three young of the group while Dwalin, still next to her, nodded in approval to what the four dwarves were saying.

 

After a few minutes Dwalin joined the conversation and when they had finished him and the three young dwarfs approached the equipment and took some huge empty wineskins, then disappeared into the bush in the opposite direction to that in which Thorin had strayed. Sara continued to observe as the camp slowly took shape, the thing that curious her more was to see how Oin was instructing Gloin on how to prepare a small alcove near two trees completely surrounded by thick bushes. The deaf dwarf made sure that his brother would cut all the bushes between the two trees and draw a small horseshoe-shaped clearing, open only in the direction of the camp. Near them, almost at the foot of one of the trees, the two prepared a fire and over a tripod they put to warm a large empty saucepan. Dwalin and the others returned about 30 minutes later, each of them bringing two wineskins (now fully filled) on their shoulder. They approached the camp by chatting as if those on their shoulders were bunches of daisies and once again Sara realized how much that tiny breed was strong.

 

Each of the wineskins had to contain at least 15 liters, which meant that even Ori (which was not exaggerated more wiry than her compared to the others) was carrying at least 30Kg on the shoulders without even spilling a drop of sweat. Four of the wineskins were placed near Bombur which was intent to cut some vegetables into a saucepan about half the size on which Gloin and Oin were working. The other two wineskins were used to fill the latter. Sara continued to observe the busy dwarfs for a while. Oin was shredding herbs, Fili and Kili had put themselves to dig a hole in the middle of the small clearing, Dwalin was picking up rocks, Ori was tying a rope between the two trees and Gloin had his arms full of those that looked like furs and leather mats. In a short time, it all made sense when as if by magic a bathroom appeared from nowhere in the midst of nature.

 

After digging the pit (not deeper than 60 or 70 cm and with a diameter of about 1 metre) the dwarves had finished the contours of it with rocks and then covered the interior with a mat of leathers. In this way the water could not seep into the ground and the edges in relief avoided that the small tub would fill with debris or mud from the surrounding terrain. Between the two trees at the entrance of the clearing had been put a fur so as to ensure a little privacy and it was not difficult to imagine what the water in the cauldron was used for. The whole thing gave a very domestic semblance to that little piece of wood, for some reason Sara could not associate such comfort with that context. In her mind she imagined that the dwarves were willing to give themselves a quick wash in the cold waters of a stream rather than working so much for a hot bath, was it not in their nature to be practical and concise? Meanwhile, Oin had put the chopped herbs wrapped in a cloth in the saucepan as if they were a huge tea bag.

 

_'Maybe some of them is injured and he needs to be medicated'_ she thought with a shrug. The thought that one of them was injured was not pleasant but there was nothing that she could do to remedy anything, not now that she could barely keep her eyes open. Maybe later she would share her medical knowledge (after all she wanted to become a surgeon) with Oin, some modern technique for sure would have been helpful in his skilled hands. Concentrated as she was on her own thoughts she almost did not notice when Ori and Dwalin approached her. *Miss. Baggins? It's all ready if you want to* said Ori handing a bundle that emanated a fresh and sweet scent, not of flowers it was much more like Marseilles soap. Sara peered the bundle a little confused for some time without hinting to take it, she did not expect that the dwarves were so kind as to prepare her a bath. *Is that for me?* she asked incredulously, pointing to the hole that Fili and Kili were filling with steaming water. *But of course, we can absolutely not let a wounded damsel bathe in a river* replied the young dwarf with a smile.

 

She returned the smile and took the bundle in her hand, continuing to look at the two young heirs of Durin's throne while they were preparing the tub. _'Oh my God, two princes are preparing me a bath'_ she thought blushing slightly while trying to hide an amused grin. The situation was just too absurd. She tried to stand but the harsh reality forced her to resit immediately and a moment later she was in Dwalin's arms. For her high embarrassment the huge warrior was bringing her (bride style) towards those diy spas, her face Infiammo when she noticed Kili give a _'_ gentle _'_ nudge to his brother and then whispered something in his ear that reduced the two young princes to giggle like two Cheshire Cat. Luckily a murderous look, to put it gently, was all it took to make them run faster than light. The journey was short and extremely embarrassing, but when her feet touched the soil Sara could not do without observing how pleasant it was.

 

No one at home had ever lifted her so easily, once a friend of hers had commented on how unfortunate her groom would have to raise a featherweight like her. '< < Small but compact, the creature >>' had commented on the others, everything was ended in a collective laughter to which she also had joined despite the comment had wounded her. She was always bragging about being a modern girl, how the stereotype of the weak sex was wrong or how sexist the classification of toys for children was. Why would a little girl grow with the idea of having to be the princess and not the knight in the shining armor? She had never understood it. Perhaps because no one had ever treated her like a delicate maiden, she had never allowed this. But now, with the memory of the strong arms of Dwalin around her, a new awareness was being born in her: she wanted to be the princess of someone, not to be defense but because she needed someone who wanted to protect her.

 

*Is everything okay? Miss. Baggins?* Ori's voice aroused her from her thoughts and she realized that she had been entrapped to scrutinize the emptiness where Dwalin had put her on her feet. *Yes... ehmm... yes, of course it's all right. From here on I do not think I will need help, at least I hope.... I should not be so clumsy as to drown in a few centimetres of water... although, you never know* she chuckled pointing the hole fills almost to the brim. *For the love of all Valar, we hope not!!* retorted the scribe pretending to be horrified. Some advice of Oin and a few minutes later Sara was getting ready to plunge into the improvised tub. It didn't take long to remove the clothes, but she turned up her nose seeing in what conditions she was reduced. Until that moment she had not realized how dirty she was. Her whole body was covered in sweat, probably because of the night spent feverish under a mountain of furs, the skin of her legs was almost grey due to the dust not to mention her feet whose soles were black.

 

Her scalp itched because of the encrusted blood and her hair (for what she could see) were of an indescribable color and texture. Without lingering over she plunged in with a sigh. The soap did not have the scent of the modern bubble bath and the herbs infused into the water were had a medicinal aroma hovering in the small clearing, which was all but unpleasant. For at least ten minutes she let the hot water and herbs do their homework, allowing every muscle in her body to relax and unwind. In those few minutes the water became murky and not wanting to spend more time than necessary in that slop Sara decided to take a small piece of cloth to soak it with soap and use it as a glove of loofah. Initially she had a moment of hesitation, despite now that it was her body at the same time it was not and she felt as if she were violating the privacy of another person.

 

In the end the need to feel clean and the curiosity had the best on her. Despite her initial intentions were to give herself a quick wash and to dress as quickly as possible she failed to be able to not explore that new and exotic wrapper. As the skin returned to its natural paleness, Sara did not cease to wonder how much that body was different from hers. Her forms were still those of a chubby teenager but the fat of this body was harder and well distributed giving her the likeness much more of a woman than a little girl, with a thinner waist and more sinuous hips. There was no trace of the hated cellulite that so much had haunted her in her previous form (it was odd to think that she had a different shape earlier) and her breasts were more toned and tall despite proportionally (of course in miniature scale ) seemed to be a size or two larger.

 

Without even realizing she found herself humming one of her favorite songs, as she used to do at home while showering. It was a sad but extremely sweet melody that she had discovered by watching a amv of the movie _'_ Gedo Senki _'_ on YouTube. The words seemed to fit perfectly to that place, it was as if that song had been written for that world. Before she could do anything to stop herself Sara was singing loudly while she kept washing and suddenly the sound of two violins was accompanying her. At the sound of the instruments she had interrupted her embarrassed singing but after the protests (and supplications) of the two young Durin she had resumed to sing though a little hesitant. She could hear that on the other side of the tent the whole camp had stopped to listen to her and as far as she did not believe she was good enough she would still like to be appreciated.

 

The bath proceeded wonderfully until a strange feeling of danger became wide in her mind: suddenly it was as if someone was observing her. Instinctively she looked around trying to cover herself. Strangely a part of her (one that Sara did not believe to possess) wished that those invisible and unknown eyes continue to look at her, because without that gaze it was as if inside her there was a profound sense of incompleteness. So she continued to wash and also had the courage to stand up, even if her head was screaming at her to run and hide. She tried (and succeeded) to convince herself that it was only her imagination. There was no one in that part of the forest outside of Thorin, the dwarves had checked this and in any case one of them was always lookout for any attacks. Thorin, he definitely wasn't interested in spying on her so better not think about it too much.

 

Once satisfied with her efforts she wrapped herself in a kind of sheet to dry. The fabric was a little rough and it irritated a bit her skin, it looked very similar to linen or the fabric obtained from the weaving of the broom plant. The fact that the fibers were still a little stiff was to indicate that it had not been used to much (for which Sara was infinitely grateful not knowing what use it was originally intended). When she finished dressing she tried to comb herself paying attention not to touch her wound, now healed, near the hairline. Unfortunately the indomitable bushings of Bilbo proved to be a daunting challenge for her too, so she ended up being wrapped in a mass of open curls (in fan ways) that once dry would make her look like a mangy lion, which obviously did not escaped to Fili and Kili, but they did their best not to laugh at her face when she resurfaced from the small clearing.

 

The evening went on quietly while everyone waited for dinner to be ready, between chatting and making some joke no one seemed to be too worried about what awaited them. The enchantment ended when Thorin reappeared and the atmosphere changed radically. The leader looked like the ghost of himself, to the point that even Sara noticed that there was something wrong with his perennial grim expression. Oin was immediately at his side, but he seemed stubbornly determined to pretend that everything was right. The deaf dwarf did not let himself be deceived and after a while Thorin let the healer convince him to lie down and drink something from a small vial . During all this the exiled king did not cease, not even for a moment, to give grim looks in her direction as if whatever happened to him was her fault. And under his gaze the Sara's skin, already red and inflamed for the bath and the cloth that she had used to dry, seemed to catch fire.

 

Throughout her life she had never felt anything like this, she was accustomed to feeling repulsion in tactile contact but... even pain only to be watched? It was really too weird. It was as if she felt claustrophobic in her own skin, she didn't want to do anything except to get away from that look but at the same time she couldn't do it. When the feeling was too intense to endure she made the only thing she believed could help her; She sought refuge in Dwalin's arms. The bald dwarf was initially astonished when she around him and sat down at his side and slid under his arm hugging him, but when he realized that she wanted that his sturdy body hide her from Thorin's menacing gaze he resumed his conversation with Bofur trying to pretend nothing was wrong. That feeling of discomfort mixed with melancholy and that sense of _'_ there is something missing _'_ did not disappear but at least now she felt safe because even if Thorin frightened her she knew that Dwalin would protect her even from him.

 

###

Thorin was sincerely convinced that he had heard the crack of his heart that shattered, there was no more explicit way to express her preferences: she had chosen Dwalin. He knew he had to accept this, she was not his One, it was not worth arguing with his dearest friend for her but he could not give himself peace. Fortunately he was able to convince Oin that he was just tired but the healer had forced him to lie down and drink a tonic anyway. This could not go worse, despite his efforts he had appeared weak in front of everyone. He was furious: with her, with himself, with the world. "Thorin, you're terrorizing that poor girl," Gloin's voice made him wince, he hadn't even noticed that the red was next to him. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied annoyed. "I believe that you have it, a fool recognizes another fool when he sees it..." Thorin made to answer but Gloin raised his hand and continued to speak.

 

"Don't try to deny it, I've been there before you.... I know what you're feeling but scare her won't help you get her. Mahal only knows what you're going to do if you can't calm down... I know it's hard and that now you just want to take Dwalin's head off and drag her behind a bush.. " Thorin still tried to protest strongly offended by the warrior's words of but was silenced again. "I'm not judging you, you don't need to make that face. I myselfhad these desires when I met my wife for the first time.... did I ever tell you that once I was on the verge of assaulting her?" the deep regret in Gloin's voice did not leave room for doubts or questions so Thorin let the friend continue. "No, of course not. I never told anyone... I had followed her home from the market, she was so beautiful and inviting. So, when we were in a path where no one could see us I tried to grasp her. I just wanted to give her a kiss, I swear... but something in me was wrong and she noticed it.... she was always the smartest of us... she ran away before I could touch her. I felt betrayed and humiliated but today I thank all the Valar for that escape, I could never forgive myself for having hurt her "

 

"I don't understand how this has to do with me and the girl. Gloin, she is not my One" he said trying to appear confused when he actually knew very well at what the dwarf was referring to. "Maybe not, who knows.... In any case, if she was your One right now she's not refusing you but saving you from yourself. Even if it hurts to see her in the arms of another dwarf over time you will understand what I mean" said this Gloin arose and went to sit with others. Thorin suspected that that would not be the last time he would be subject to the conjectures of his fellow travellers, if the looks that were observing him could say something. Not knowing what else to do he decided to close his eyes to try to sleep, he knew he had to eat but he was not convinced that his stomach would cooperate so he pretended to be already asleep when someone approached him to offer him food.

 

 

###

 

Sara was perplexed: She didn't know where she was. After an embarrassing dinner in which she was stuck at Dwalin's side as a macaque puppy to its mother, she had withdrawn into her bed and had practically collapsed into a deep sleep but now she was walking in a cave. She didn't have the slightest idea of how she got there or why, she just knew she was looking for something but not what this something was. After a while she came to the conclusion that she was dreaming and began to explore the cave. At a more accurate examination it was not any cave, but the interior of a mountain. Throughout all the height of the rock wall there were a sequence of terraces that delineated different levels each characterized by different structures, some obtained directly from the mountain others built separately. In the depths below her she could see a vertical mine of which she could not see the bottom and raising her eyes an intricate maze of bridges dug directly from the bare rock.

 

For strange that this was the air inside was oddly clear, there was no smell of stale or damp despite that it was the inside of a mountain. The ceiling was so high that it was almost invisible, as if that surreal city was immersed in a perennial night without stars. When she approached the edge to better observe the mine a light breeze that climbed from the depths of the mountain and turmoil her hair. She stretched her hand and distinctly perceived the warmth of that wind, unmistakable smell of molten metal pervading her nostrils even though it was not strong enoughto annoy her. From her position she could see that on the last level before the mine there were furnaces in front of which stood a huge railing. Looking around she saw several tunnels open up on the clearing where she was, but there was no way she could see where they would lead.

 

Sara was amazed by the magnificence of that place. The mountain seemed to come to life in the forms in which it had been shaped, as if the geometrical decorations chiselled in the hard stone of each bridge, column or building were of playdough and could change shape with the touch of the fingers of a hand but at the same time were the still image of an infinite instant in time. There was no doubt in her head that this was Erebor, splendid and imposing as no other city in the world. She was on one of the intermediate floors, it was a vast area whose soil was unusually soft as if someone had deliberately covered that terrace with sandy loam to make it more comfortable. On the most protruding side of the terrace there was a huge semicircular arena that gave its back to the edge and the side to the rocky wall, while she stood in a clearing as big as a football field in which there was nothing.

 

As for magic around her took shape the silhouettes of some dwarfs. They were all adult males who were fighting with each other with wooden weapons or bare hands. Initially she believed that they would attack her but then realized that none of them could see her. It was as if she were like smoke and the maximum she could do was annoy them a little, without ever being really taken into account. Now that those figures were sinuously and violently moving around her the purpose of that area of the mountain was more than clear. Driven by curiosity she moved from the training camp to the arena of which she had not yet understood the purpose. As she approached the structure she could hear the voices of some children, agitated and cheerful as if they were waiting impatiently for something to begin. When she entered the arena she was amazed to see teenagers seated on the stands, they seemed very excited about anything to happen but at the same time they hovered an extremely solemn feeling.

 

Sitting on the central stage there was a female dwarf with black hair with beautiful chocolate-colored eyes. On the face of the elegant she-dwarf there was a thick fluff that did nothing to diminish her femininity. On each side of her head from the temples there was an intricate cascading braid that formed a semicircle around her ear before joining the thick whiskers until mid-jaw, then departing from her face and going to form a beautiful braid thats was folded elegantly to go to join its twin behind the nape of the she-dwarf so as to keep the rest of her hair in place. Sara watched the scene with attention completely captured by the peculiarity of the situation, it did not happen all days to attend the education of young dwarves. "I suppose every one of you knows what the lesson is about today, well? Does anyone want to make the honors of the house?" said the she-dwarf with a gentle tone. "Today we'll talk about courtship," said a young dwarf after asking permission to speak by raising his hand.

 

"It's not entirely correct" chuckled the teacher. "You are still too young to learn the mysteries of courtship, but it is never too early to know your own origins. Today we will talk about a very important topic: The Anvil and the Hammer. Does anyone know what it is? "asked the she-dwarf. The youngsters looked a little uncertain as if none of them wanted to answer the question. From one of the tallest stands rose a hand to request the word, "It is the curse that Melkor threw on our race because he was jealous of the great Mahal" said a boy with black hair and eyes as blue as the sky. "Even this is not entirely true but... in good substance yes, today we will talk about the curse that has been imposed on our people. Very good Thorin" she smiled at him smugly. Sara turned her gaze towards the boy who had taken to swell his chest proud of the praise of the teacher.

 

There was no way to confuse him for someone else despite him not appearing to be older than 14 or 15 years. Black hair, strong lines, regal bearing and those eyes as deep as the sea could only belong to Thorin Oakenshield. For a moment her heart seemed to stop, it looked incredibly rude to dream of others life, as if at that moment she was interfering in a moment of intimacy. It would have been even worse if these were just her fantasies, she would feel like a redshank spreading rumors if it wasn't for the fact that she knew that what she was seeing had really happened. She did not know why or how, but she knew it. "Well, does any of you know what the curse of the Anvil and the Hammer consist of?" asked the she-dwarf resting her hands in her lap and and leaning forward. "It is the reason for which we dwarfs do not fall in love with our One at first sight" said the boy next to Thorin after asking the word but from his not-caring tone it was obvious that he was not very interested in the lesson.

 

"This is just one of its effects, Dwalin. I have asked you what it is. None of you know why it was called like this?" at the words of the she-dwarf Sara's jaw barely remained attached to her face. Dwalin? That shorty skin and bones (with a mountain of dark bushes that fell on the shoulders?) sitting next to Thorin was Dwalin? _'Puberty does wonders'_ she thought giggling softly . "My mom says it is called so because in love you have to give (the Hammer) and receive (The Anvil)" timidly replied a young girl who seemed among the youngest. But to her words the older students grunted in disapproval as if to mock her for her naivety, every sound disappeared when Thorin cleareded the voice threateningly. "Oh, my sweet Dis..." said the teacher gently "... This is a really romantic interpretation but I fear it is not correct. Now, since you seem to have some confused ideas, maybe it's better to start from the beginning".

 

"Before the creation of Eä, Melkor was the most powerful among the Ainur created by Eru. Melkor wanted to create things of his own as Eru did. He eagerly wanted to stand out (even more) from the others and from one in particular: Mahal. Since their creation the two Valar had always been like the two sides of the same coin, they were so similar yet profoundly different. If Mahal was curious and eager to learn new things Melkor was arrogant and dilip. If Mahal was honest up to seem rude Melkor was deviously kind and planner. The two were in everything absolutely like Earth and Fire. The thing that most differentiated them was the love that Mahal shared with his bride Yavanna. Unfortunately it was also the thing that Melkor more craved because from the first moment he had laid eyes on her Melkor had fallen in love with Yavanna. He tried to conquer her heart but the Valier rejected him".

 

Everyone, including Sara, were listening in obsequious silence while the she-dwarf continued to narrate. "So Melkor devoted himself to his mission to overcome Mahal in everything and for everything. He spent a lot of time alone, searching for the Flame Imperishable, but the flame was of Eru and resided with him (it represented his creative power) and Melkor never discovered it. By isolating himself he obtained a very poor understanding of the other Ainur and Eru, and with time he took to conceive different thoughts from them and to feel feelings never felt before by any other Ainur: He became envious of his creator, and since he could not create things of his own (or get the unconditional love of another being) as Eru did, and as had been granted to almost all the other Valar he conceived the idea of the submission of others to himself. That idea became his main reason to exist. And even his love for Yavanna turned into a selfish and perverse passion: If she could not love hin then he would have possessed her "

 

"Why didn't he ask Eru to give him a bride?" asked one of the students candidly. "At that point the mind of Melkor was too corrupt, by then he did not care anymore for Yavanna or to have a bride he only cared of what she represented for Mahal. The sad thing is that at the beginning Melkor sincerely wanted to be a better creature, he probably would never want to hurt them. But evidently Eru knew the heart of his son better than Melkor knew himself, in fact the Valar of the Fire is one of the two Valar to whom was not granted a bride" ."If Eru already knew Melkor's heart why didn't he stop him when he was still in time?" asked another boy with a confused expression while many others whispered softly in approval. The teacher looked with loving severity every one of them in the eyes "Do not be hasty to judge. Eru has granted mortal beings free will, why would he not have to grant it to his children? As a good father has to do he hoped that Melkor would make the right choice. "

 

 

"However, the discontent of Melkor did nothing but increase and when Mahal succeeded in creating our race from the bare rock the discontent turned into wrath and desire for revenge. It did not mind that the dwarves had been condemned to be the second sons of the world and that they had been bound into the depths of the Earth until Eru had instilled in them the breath of life, for Melkor and his mind corrupted by envy it was something unacceptable that we exist. The Lord of Fire then planned his revenge. When Eru summoned all the Ainur in order to make them sing in chorus the music of the Ainur, who would create the world, Melkor diverted from the theme prepared by Ilúvatar by inserting things imagined only by him. Things that would make him get his revenge. Things that would change the way our race would love forever. "

 

The confused expression on the face of her pupils incited the teacher to deepen this last point. It was normal that at their young age they knew not much of a feeling as complicated as love, for them to love was simple and innocent. Black or white. You like something or not. Simple. "Love is a complex sentiment composed of passion, affection, anger, lust, joy, melancholy, arrogance and insecurity. When the Valar sang the song of creation they planted the seed of all these sentiments in every living being. Eru in his magnanimity gave Námo the task of interweaving the destiny of each individual with that of another so that no one in the world could ever feel alone. To Vairë, Námo's wife, he gave the task of weaving a canvas on the soul of the two so that it would appear on their bodies once they were born in the world and wherever they were they would know how to recognize themselves... ". "Is this how the soulmarks are born?" asked a young man interrupting the tale.

 

The teacher nodded, after a resigned sigh. "Yes, this is their origin. I would like to say that during my lectures you asked to speakin a polite manner" she added with a stern look. "The Vairë asked every couple of lovers to embrace and on their joint souls created his canvases. When the two separated the warp remained impressed on both but the plot was divided so that only overlapping the two drawings the canvas was complete. Thus originated the soulmark that appear when we are ready to meet our One. This mark serves to balance the feelings felt by each individual of the couple...." the teacher paused for a moment as if to find the right words. "In practice it serves to measure the right amount of each of these feelings to obtain love, so that everyone can be equally shy or passionate for example. Obviously according to their own personality. This is not the case for our race. "

 

"When Vairë began to weave on the souls of the dwarfs Melkor cursed our marks so that each of us was able to experience all the sentiments of which love is composed but not in a balanced way. [.. _Just as the hammer that you love so much helped you to create them, half of your children will be dominated by violence and they'll beat mercilessly on the other half of their hearts that lie still and helpless as on the anvil that you so admire..]_ , with these words Merkol has condemned some of us to feel a love dominated by the darkest part of our soul and the others from the most innocent one. Melkor's ideas became part of the music, enriching it and this created the evil in the world. Following his entry into the song, many Ainur remained confused and ceased to sing, while some others took to change their initial singing it to that of Melkor. Unfortunately no one realized what had happened if not when it was too late. "

 

The she-dwarf remarked the dismay of his pupils in learning that they were destined to be either victims or hangman of a future love. It was not right that because of a rejected god an entire race could not love but there was nothing that Sara, or anyone else, could do. "Then what should we do? Can we only choose whether to be wolves or lambs? I refuse to let myself be dominated by instinct as an animal" Thorin's voice made Sara look up to the young dwarf, he had stood up and held his arms stretched on his sides with clenched fists, all his body was tense as if he were to assault someone, but from the low head and lips pulled in a grimace in a vain attempt not to grind his teeth it was possible to perceive all his frustration in not being able to change the course of future events. "No, Thorin. That is why we are here and that is why when you are ready you will learn the art of courtship. Today we will try to understand who of you is a Hammer and who an Anvil " replied the teacher.

 

"Is that all?Can we just learn to control ourselves? Nice deal!!" puff Dwalin not caring about the fact that the she-dwarf was addressing him a homicidal look. "There must be a way to break the curse, a spell or something like that" spluttered a worried Dis. "There is a way, but none of you would like to be the one who break the curse. That is why we are here so that you can have a choice, so that you can decide with your heads and not blinded by this curse and... " said the teacher almost in tears, then she turned to Sara and gazed straight in her eyes and whispering *... Now it's time to wake up Miss. Baggins*. The whole mountain began to tremble but no one seemed to notice, Sara wanted to escape but it was as if the she-dwarf's gaze was paralyzing her. Sara's heart was beating wildly and she could feel her sweat while dripping along her temples and back.

 

###

 

Reopening her eyes she found herself in front of Ori bent over her while he repeated *Miss. Baggins!! Please, wake up* continuously but almost whispering it while shaking her shoulders gently. At first she felt disoriented and did not recognize the dwarf immediately, all she saw was an unknown man bent over her and immediately a scream climbed her throat but a huge hand locked her lips. After the first moments of panic she recognized Ori and the hand that had prevented her from waking up half Arda belonged to Dwalin. *We have to go, there are orcs in the clearing and elves are exterminating them is better not to find us in the midst of a battle* told her the young scribe when he realized that he was awake. Fortunately she went to sleep totaly dressed and it didn't take her much to collect Bilbo's things _'_ as quietly as possible _'_ as Thorin had  politely requested.

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
